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

[Dean & Linda Stock]

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.

Thanks for the expert prediction.  We have seen a change in just the 3 days we've been here.  I was so impressed by the maroon leaves in the tree in front of our RV that I asked Dean to take a picture of it.  Unfortunately, it also had 6 different colored suns in it.  Dean says it was a reflection from the lens.  We'll try again today at a different time of day.

We're thinking that in moving to Maine, we should be hitting their peak.  But, what do we Californians know?

 

[HappyWanderer]

If you want the full experience, I've got a couple of rakes and a big yard...

 

[ArdraF]

Linda, your descriptions of the raptors was absolutely fascinating.  Mother Nature is so amazing!  Thanks for giving us such a complete write-up.

ArdraF

 

[Dean & Linda Stock]

If you want the full experience, I've got a couple of rakes and a big yard...

If we had the time, I'd love to stop and watch you rake....  Seriously, though, with all that work you get all that beauty, and in my younger days, I would have said, "Give me that rake!" if I could have had that in my yard.  In California, our leaves go from green to brown, and may not finish falling off until spring. 

This country up here is so awe-inspiring.  And I like the people.  But, in the museum the lady said they had two 5-day periods of -20 to -30. And, she said she walked to work every day in that, with 6" of snow on the ground.  I don't think I was ever that hearty.  I can't believe all the mobile homes I see up here.  How do people survive in that weather?

 

[Dean & Linda Stock]

Linda, your descriptions of the raptors was absolutely fascinating.  Mother Nature is so amazing!  Thanks for giving us such a complete write-up.

ArdraF

Thanks.  I had a fabulous time there and wrote them up on Yelp and Tripadvisor so others will be sure to go.  Such dedicated people!

 

[Dean & Linda Stock]

Day 22 September 22, 2015 Williamstown, VT    A wonderful day!

We really appreciate Ken & Sheila's suggestion to visit the Von Trapp site in Stowe.  We had already planned to drive Highway 100 to see the pretty landscape and trees, but Dean had nixed the Von Trapp Lodge.  We so enjoyed our time there--lots of farm animals in real pastures, beautiful flowers and gardens everywhere, and a gorgeous lodge built in 1981.  They sell 2500 sq. ft. chalets within the Austrian-themed lodge featuring 2 master bedrooms, 1 guest bedroom, 3 bathrooms, interior decorating and more.  You can buy 1/12 share and keep the same month each year, but you get a deed title, or you can buy the chalet outright for 12 months.  I would love to know what it costs, but I'm sure it's astronomical. The hilltop is absolutely beautiful and encompasses over 2500 acres of hiking/biking trails.  But, it doesn't have the "tourist" feel.  The views are breath-taking, and the weather was a perfect 72? day.  We were too late for their 11:00 once-daily tour ($18), but it got raves on Tripadvisor and I would have come earlier had I known about it.  It tells the "real" Von Trapp story.  I looked at their paperback book about the family, but I thought $30 was ridiculous, so I'll check other sources.  I enjoyed seeing their pictures hanging on the wall in the basement.

We had a lovely lunch in their lounge, which has a gorgeous view.  Dean had a grass-fed beef hamburger, and I had their bratwurst with sauerkraut and an interesting cherry mustard and Dijon mustard with a bit of horseradish.  The best part for me was the German potato salad.  My great-grandmother immigrated from Germany and made German potato salad.  In turn, she taught my mother.  However, whenever my mother saw it on a menu, she had to try it and compare.  That tradition passed on to me, and I think this was the best I've ever tasted.  I bought a side order to bring home.

On the road home, we stopped at the Old Hollow Cedar Mill and enjoyed the best apple cider with no sugar added.  It tasted like liquid apples.  Dean loved their apple butter and bought some. We also bought 6 cider donuts and brought 2 back for the RV park owner.  I wasn't as impressed with the donuts.

We by-passed the handmade chocolate shop, but the car was magnetized to stop at Ben & Jerry's.  We skipped the interesting factory tour, and got their smallest cup of Cherries Garcia.  Yummmmm...

Beautiful weather, gorgeous scenery, nice people, delicious food......what could be better than that?

One question for you techies--I have a satellite and we get great Internet in the morning.  But, each night when we get back around 5:00, I can get TV but not Internet.  There are few, thin clouds, not enough to interfere.  Any ideas about what's happening?  It's a bit frustrating.

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

 

[Dean & Linda Stock]

Day 24 September 24, 2015 Travel Day    Palmyra, ME

We drove 190 fairly hard miles.  US 2 had a lot of curves and washboard, bumpy areas--enough so that our normal tie-downs on chairs, etc. had to be re-fashioned.  Navigating the narrow lanes in towns was challenging.  Every now and then we'd hit a patch of a few miles that was silky smooth, giving us hope.  We saw a little color.

Staying at Walmart.  Very welcoming manager.

 

[Ken & Sheila]

Linda,

If you come back through the Bangor area there is a nice PA park just a few miles from where you are.
Palmyra Golf Course and Campground on Lang Hill RD. $18

 

[Dean & Linda Stock]

Day 25 September 25, 2015 Travel Day Lubec, ME

We drove about 150 bumpy miles.  At an earlier RV park, we met a couple from New England who said they had traded in their Airstream trailer after 70,000 miles because it was falling apart from driving over these roads.  Dean and I were surprised, but now we are believers.

Lubec is the easternmost point in the United States and also the closest point to Africa.

We learned that the nearest cell tower to our park is in Canada, so we signed up for Verizon's Canada program at $5 for each phone for a month,  although we'll only be here a couple of days to see Campobello (FDR's summer home). 

I can't wait to eat lobster rolls, so I was disappointed that Becky's was closed already.  Her father goes out each morning and brings back fish and lobsters, which she cooks and sells from a trailer.  Everyone gave it rave reviews, but it was closed at 4:30 when Dean got there. 

So we went to dinner at the restaurant that our park manager recommended, Cohill's Pub.  Our GPS led us across the bridge to the Canadian border, which provided us with an opportunity to check on crossing it tomorrow.  We did not realize that we had to enter Canada to get to Campobello, and we left our passports at home.  We really didn't want to wait for our daughter to send them to us, and our RV park manager tells us that as of late, Canada has been letting people through if they present their driver's license and they show up on their computers as having a passport.  We learned what the policy was (we already knew because I'd called) and that it depended on the officer on duty.  So, we will cross our fingers and try tomorrow.  Dean really enjoyed his burger, and I thought my haddock was good.  Portions were generous, and we brought food home.  I was happy that I got to try smoked salmon on a stick.  It was very good.  However, the meal was very pricey for what it was.

Staying at Sunset Point RV Park--W & 50 amps, free wifi, right on the water. 

High 64?  Low 37?

 

[HappyWanderer]

The problem isn't with crossing into Canada, it's getting back into the US. The nastiest US Customs people we've even encountered were at Campobello.

 

[Ken & Sheila]

Day 25      September 25, 2015      Travel Day    Lubec, ME

We drove about 150 bumpy miles.  At an earlier RV park, we met a couple from New England who said they had traded in their Airstream trailer after 70,000 miles because it was falling apart from driving over these roads.  Dean and I were surprised, but now we are believers.

Linda,

Did you take Hwy 9 (Airline) or Hwy 1 to get to Lubec from Bangor. We drove Hwy 9 year before last on the way to Canada and it was OK. In the past Hwy 1 was always a rough road but I haven't been on it north of Ellsworth in years.

I like to know because we will be going to Eastport next year.

ken

 

[Hfx_Cdn]

    Happy Wanderer, with the border crossing changes that have come into place over the past year, I'm not so sure an American can still gain entry into Canada with only picture ID.  American Homeland Security has insisted on changes, and I'm not sure all of the changes are totally understood.
    Linda, I'm surprised that seasoned travellers as you and Dean would travel without carrying your Passports, even if you thought that you were not expecting to cross the border.  You never know.  Donna and I carry them with us, even when we go visit our kids who live in Ottawa, just in case we decide at the last minute to take the longer alternate route through the White Mountains.  That aside, there are plenty of fish and lobster restaurants everywhere here in the Maritimes, the weather is gorgeous, and the leaves will soon start showing their colours.

Ed

 

[Alfa38User]

Not only is entry into Canada  more difficult but an American without passports and trying to re-enter the USA is likely to be given a hard time or even denied entry by Homeland Security people. It was well published several years ago that US citizens now require their passports to re-enter USA. The only exception is perhaps having those enhanced drivers licenses with the required citizenship information on them. (And they only work for land crossings, not air travel FWIW).

Happy Travels!!!

 

[Dean & Linda Stock]

Day 26 September 25, 2015 Lubec, ME

TripAdvisor tripped me up and told me that Campobello (the summer vacation home of FDR, Eleanor, and their kids) opened at noon, when in reality they opened at 10:00.  It's the first time the site has ever been wrong, but now that we are in the off-season, I will call ahead and verify in the future.  This was important because the highlight of the day was Tea with Eleanor.  The Visitors Center gives out tickets for the free tea and cookies with two docents on a first-come, first-served basis.  We got the last one ticket, and I quickly grabbed it because I'm the one who has been reading Eleanor's biography at home and Teddy's biography on the road.  We then saw the short film about the Roosevelts and a guide brought Dean an extra ticket.  Hurrah!

Campobello (Picture 1/5848) is a joint venture between the US and Canadian governments.  It includes FDR's home and grounds that are on a hill above The Bay of Fundy.  The bay has a 30 foot delta between high and low tides.  His home has 34 bedrooms and has lots of bright flowers that seem to thrive in this BRRR cold (Pictures 2/5851 & 3/5852).  We got a glimpse into the life they lived here.  FDR came to the island for the first time with his parents when he was only 18 months old.  As a youth, he spent every summer here racing boats, playing pool, playing board games, (Picture 4/5855), having 3-legged races, and going to dances.  He was in robust health.  In the game room is one of the sailboats he whittled and sailed with his children.

He loved watching the activities of the bay with his telescope. (Picture 5/5856)  They had 2 residents of the island who acted as cook and caretaker, and they brought along 6 servants with them.  The kitchen was a busy place (Picture 6/5857).  FDR added this beautiful water heater.  When many places were converting from gas lamps to electric, FDR asked Eleanor, and she said, "NO!" 

The highlight of the day was Tea with Eleanor.  The two docents talked for an hour and had all of us listening and laughing.  I am reading Eleanor's biography, but I knew very few of their stories.  Eleanor was a huge advocate of all peoples' right.  When she was first lady, the Secret Service uncovered the information that the KKK had put a $5000 bounty on her head.  She had planned to visit the South, and the Secret Service told her absolutely not.  She didn't argue.  She just took shooting lessons and bought a gun, which she carried with her as she toured the South.  She didn't have to use it, which she said was good because she was a very poor marksman.  She was such an amazing woman that I can't believe that we are still debating what woman to put on the ten dollar bill.  These ladies love talking about Eleanor and admire her so much that they transmitted the feeling to all of us. 

Staying at Sunset Point RV Park.

Headed to Bar Harbor, Rockland/Rockport, Augusta, Boothbay, Portland--all in Maine.

 

[Dean & Linda Stock]

Not only is entry into Canada  more difficult but an American without passports and trying to re-enter the USA is likely to be given a hard time or even denied entry by Homeland Security people. It was well published several years ago that US citizens now require their passports to re-enter USA. The only exception is perhaps having those enhanced drivers licenses with the required citizenship information on them. (And they only work for land crossings, not air travel FWIW).

Happy Travels!!!

I think they may be more liberal on the road to Campobello, which is an island.  Maybe they have another checkpoint if you try to enter Canada from any of the ferries or in a boat, so this isn't as hard a checkpoint.  We were very glad it worked because we drove a lot of extra miles to get here.  The agent talked with us for a while, took our drivers' licenses, and pulled up our passports on the computer.  She was very nice.  The first night when we got lost and accidentally crossed the border, the US agent did the same thing and told us we wouldn't have any trouble getting back into the US.  If we had any idea that we would be in Canada, we would have brought our passports with us.  Dean had me remove PASSPORTS from my file entitled, "Things to Bring Each Time," that we check off each time before we leave.  I have already put it back on the list.

 

[Hfx_Cdn]

    There are no ferries from NB to Maine, however there is a ferry from Campobello to Dear Island, and another from Dear Island to mainland NB.  FWIW, Dear Island is where our 2000 Coachmen ended up, with the purchaser intending to snowbird in Florida this winter.
    There is a nice Provincial Park on Campobello at Wilson's Beach, where we swam in a pond separated from the Bay of Fundy, the temperature of the pond was in the high 70's, so we thought that we would cool off by going from it to the Bay, where we found out that it truly is bone chilling at under 50 F and that was mid August.
    Enjoy the rest of your trip, only next time plan of visiting Atlantic Canada, it is worth the time.

Ed

 

[Dean & Linda Stock]

 
    Enjoy the rest of your trip, only next time plan of visiting Atlantic Canada, it is worth the time.

Ed

Thanks, Ed.  I have discovered that my idea of timing the leaves wasn't a good idea.  The leaves we've seen have been dull in color.  Locals tell us they had little rain in the last year and that is what brings the vibrant color.  We've encountered cold, but not the freezing that is required for the bright colors, also.  My favorite tree was a red maple that was gorgeous--but that's its color all the time.  We are predicted now to have a week or rain, so we are skipping Rockland and Rockport, where I had all outdoor activities planned.  We are moving on tomorrow to Augusta.  If/when we do the Maritimes, it will be in the summer!  Brrrr!  (I'm from the Land of Concrete & Sun)  I appreciate the trees up here--just beautiful in Acadia NP, but I miss my warmth.

 

[Dean & Linda Stock]

Day 27 September 27, 2015 Trenton, Maine (near Bar Harbor)

We made the easy drive in about 2 hours and got here in time for Dean to go to the Seal Cove Auto Museum.  He reports that they had a "nice little collection of classics, spanning roughly 1904 to l928."  The collection includes bicycles and motorcycles.  Some of them are in driving condition and are driven to festivities in local cities.

Staying  at Timberland Acres RV Park--$38  FHU  Good satellite or forested, you pick, great hosts

 

[Hfx_Cdn]

    Jinda, don't forget with the high tides flushing the Bay of Fundy twice a day, the land along the coast stays cool all along that coast.  It was that cool clear air that attracted so many to establish summer homes near the Atlantic coast.  In the summer, you don't have to get too far inland to lose that effect and see temps in the 90s and 100s.  If you want to see the absence of trees, go see true sand deserts at Acadia National Park, or the Desert of Maine near Freeport, there is a nice campground adjacent to that one, and Freeport is the home of LL Bean.

Ed

 

[Dean & Linda Stock]

    Jinda, don't forget with the high tides flushing the Bay of Fundy twice a day, the land along the coast stays cool all along that coast.  It was that cool clear air that attracted so many to establish summer homes near the Atlantic coast.  In the summer, you don't have to get too far inland to lose that effect and see temps in the 90s and 100s.  If you want to see the absence of trees, go see true sand deserts at Acadia National Park, or the Desert of Maine near Freeport, there is a nice campground adjacent to that one, and Freeport is the home of LL Bean.

Ed

Thanks, Ed.  We missed the deserts, but I put them in my log for next time.  We blew it on visiting Portland.  I was really looking forward to visiting the Wild Duck Campground in Audubon's Scarborough Marsh.  All the RV parks have been over 50% vacant, and a big rainstorm is coming in, so I didn't anticipate that they might be totally booked up, but they are.  We are now headed to Concord, Auburn, Manchester, Canterbury, and Cornish--all in NH.  We are booked for 3 nights at Calef Lake Camping Area near Auburn, and I have ideas for the others, except Cornish.  We may just stop and see the sights there on our way through.  If you have suggestions, please let me know.