Made it to the Atlantic Ocean

    Tuesday, August 25, we stopped at Crown Point Historic Park just before crossing the bridge into Vermont. There we saw the remains of a fort used by both the British and French before the Revolutionary War. In California we're so used to seeing the dates of European settlement and influence in the late nineteenth century, but in this part of the country we see frequent signs with dates in the eighteenth century. We have passed many cemeteries that look very old, but then even our oldest European history in the U.S is young compared to other parts of the world. I remember once when we were hosting a Japanese exchange student and we were on a field trip at the California history museum in Sacramento and the chaperone of the Japanese students was with us and she asked as we were looking at Gold Rush history in 1849 if this was really old. I said yes, and then laughed saying, well, I guess not really when one thinks of Japanese history. In the U.S. our historic sites are beginning to tell the history of Indigenous People on this continent long before the arrival of European settlers, but we have a long way to go to tell the history straight.

Remnants of the fort built by the French at Crown Point, New York.

The bridge that would take us into Vermont.

     Our destination for Tuesday night was Sam Mazza's Farm Market in Colchester, Vermont where we had a quiet night, met other Harvest Host campers and shopped in the farm store there. The sweet corn was good, but not nearly as good as the corn we'd had at the two farms in New York. But I bought some salsa I'd love to go back and get more of. On our way through northern Vermont we happened to stop for a break at a beautiful community park: Mill Riverside Park. It was complete with a covered bridge, athletic fields and lots of trails.

Our spot for the night at Sam Mazza's Farm Market in Vermont.

The covered bridge in Mill Riverside Park

The trail we took in Mill River Side Park in Vermont

    On Wednesday, August 26 we continued through the north woods into and through New Hampshire on our way to Maine. We made a reservation for a state campground in New Hampshire for this week, but didn't spend much time there as we drove through. We were delighted to find a spot for the night at a National Forest Campground in the White Forest National Park in Maine. There were trails near the campground so on Thursday morning we picked a short one to hike. It was a 1.2 mile loop that we had to walk about a mile to get to the trailhead from our campsite and then a mile back from where the loop ended. We thought it would be an easy hour or so "walk in the park." Wrong thinking! The name of the trail, "The Roost Trail," should have given us a clue that we would go up, and up to a "roost," and we did. Because of all the trees we really couldn't see that there was a mountain there until we climbed it. I was reminded of the term PUD that my grandson Alex and I learned in reference to the Appalachian Trail which is known for, apparently, lots of ups and downs affectionately referred to as "Pointless Ups and Downs" (PUD).

The sign entering Maine. I try to take a picture of the signs as we enter each state, but some signs are not as photogenic as others.

 

We love the National Forest Campgrounds, but they are getting harder to find in the east.

The trail up to the "Roost." It was steep, but pictures never catch that perspective well.

Here we are at the top of the "Roost" looking much more energetic than we felt, and of course we still had to climb down the steep other side.

We have seen some small patches of leaves starting to turn, but sadly we'll be out of the north woods before the fall colors really arrive.

The Wild River near Hastings Campground.

    

    We have loved our Harvest Host destinations, but were a bit surprised when we arrived at Shalom Orchards in Franklin, Maine to find a very rustic, rather unkept property with a narrow driveway and un-mowed field to park in for the night. The host was friendly, but when I asked about what produce he had for sale as mentioned in the description of this site he said he didn't really have anything this season. It turned out to be a restful, quiet place for the night, but I'm sure glad it wasn't our first Harvest Host experience.

    

A picture at sunrise at Shalom Orchards, making the location look better than it was.

    I'd chosen Shalom Orchards for our stopping place on Thursday night because it was only about an hour from Acadia National Park. Thursday night as we read more about Acadia we read a warning about driving an RV on their one way park road. It said there were some low clearance bridges and to plan ahead. We decided it would be best to rent a car, but by the time we started calling for a rental car on Thursday night the places were closed. We saw that Enterprise opened at the airport in Bar Harbor at 8:00 AM and Hertz at 9:00 AM. When we got to the airport, that was actually smaller than the Humboldt County Airport in McKinleyville, at 8:15 no one was at the Enterprise counter, but a woman was just getting ready to open at Hertz. While I called the Enterprise phone number and found out they had no cars Rob talked to the woman at Hertz. She said she didn't have any cars then, but two were due to be returned by 11. We decided to drive the 8 miles to the park entrance, find our the scoop on clearances and the woman at Hertz said she would call us if and when one of the cars was returned. The ranger at Acadia explained the clearances, said parking at a couple of main places should accommodate our RV and she gave us the clearance measurements. Just as we were measuring LesThora and found out she would fit if need be, the woman from Hertz called to say two cars had been returned and she would hold one for us if we'd like. She said they were both convertibles, but since we hadn't ordered one she would rent us it for a regular car price. It did take us a few minutes to decide what to do, after all LesThora would work in the park, but we weren't too sure about the parking situation, so we went back to the airport and picked up a white Mustang convertible. From the airport to the park we drove with the top up, but after our first stop we drove with it down, and it was lots of fun. The last time I remember riding in a convertible was in L.A. 15 years ago and I was in the backseat and I hated it, but riding in the front seat, especially at 25 to 35 miles an hour was a totally different experience. Rob drove the first couple of legs, but then I got my turn for most of the rest of the day. The weather was perfect for touring the park and for having the top down. No, we won't be getting a convertible any time soon, or most likely ever, but it was fun. Acadia was beautiful, with lots of red granite, beautiful shoreline and awesome trails. We drove to the top of Cadillac Mountain which wasn't allowed in an RV, so combined with the ease of parking and the fun of the drive we were very glad we rented a car for the day. Friday night we had made a reservation for Bass Harbor Campground on the "quiet" side of Mount Desert Island. It was our most expensive night of camping, but worth it for it's proximity to Acadia National Park. No campgrounds within Acadia National Park are open this year due to Covid.

Rob in the driver's seat

Us enjoying the ride.

Me in the driver's seat

Part of the view form the trail from Sand Beach to Otter Point

More of the view from Sand Beach Trail

More of the Acadia shoreline

And another view of the red granite shore.

Putting my feet in the Atlantic Ocean at Sand Beach, Acadia National Park. It was COLD! Cold like Lake Tahoe Cold!

The surf at Sand Beach

One of the views from the top of Cadillac Mountain

Sunset from the Bass Harbor Light House, a short walk from our Bass Harbor Camp Ground

A fraction of the crowd that came to watch the sunset at Bass Harbor Light House. The gathering crowd reminded me of the folks that go to the beach at Kings Beach, Lake Tahoe for the fireworks on July 3.

We stayed pretty clear of the crowd, and just in case we got close we were masked up. We made sure to leave ahead of the rush too so we'd be walking alone. For the most part we feel like we are in quarantine this whole trip, living self contained in LesThora, having masks close at hand hiking on the trails, and avoiding crowed places.

The shore of Eagle Lake on the "quiet" side of Mount Desert Island where we stopped for a brief hike before it started raining and before driving to Saturday night's destination.

    

    Saturday, August 29, we met up with son Scott and daughter-in-law Kristy at Meadowbrook Campground near Phippsburg, Maine. Scott and Kristy currently live in Maryland on their sailboat as Scott winds down his career in the Air Force, but they have bought a lot in Harpswell, Maine where they plan to build their retirement home. Our campground was about a half hour from their future home. We spent the weekend with them exploring the area, checking out their property in the woods, hiking, sitting around the campfire and playing board games as the Dunnings always do when they gather.

A spider web I saw on an early morning walk at Meadowbrook Campground.

The four of us at the Cliff Overlook on The Cliff Trail in Harpswell, Maine

Scott and Kristy at the Cliff - it was quite a drop off behind.

Rob and I at the Cliff - I think that's a nervous laugh on my part - I don't like heights!

    Scott trying to help show the perspective of this drop off, but of course, pictures don't tell the story.

Scott and Kristy at the sign for their housing development.

    After leaving Maine on the last day of August 2020 we headed to New Hampshire to camp at Pawtuckaway State Campground on Pawtuckaway Lake. What a gorgeous place! Our campsite was immediately adjacent to the lake on an island. I had made reservations only a week ago. I couldn't believe all the empty sites. There were lots of trails to choose from, a beautiful sunset, and on Tuesday morning I rented a kayak and paddled around the islands in the lake, saw ducks and cormorants and a great blue heron.

Our campsite at Pawtuckaway Lake

The view from our campfire pit

Sunset over Pawtuckaway Lake

From our campfire

Paddling the Lake

    

    Yesterday, Tuesday, September 1, we headed into Massachusetts where we had called ahead to stay at a Harvest Host location that was a Cranberry Bog on Cape Cod. I wish we'd taken a picture of the road we drove in on, as directed by Google Maps. It would have felt precarious in a car, but in LesThora it was truly daunting, but we made it and ended up having a very quiet, pleasant stay for the night. Most Harvest Host locations have something they are selling and Harvest Host quests are not required to buy anything, but it is generally expected. Dave, the owner of the Cranberry bogs said we were welcome to stay there if we took the paid "tour" of the Cranberry Bogs which we did. It wasn't really a tour, but an hour long talk by Dave given to us and another Harvest Host couple for $15 a person. $30 seemed a steep price for the tour and our "free" campsite, but actually I ended up feeling pretty good about it, and we learned a lot about cranberries including that they are indigenous to Cape Cod. I had tried to reserve a campsite in a Massachusetts State Park, but the one I had selected was $17 a night for in state residents and $54 for out of state residents. Today we were going to take a short hike at a beach and parking was $25 so we were feeling that Massachusetts wasn't all that welcoming. We did find a nature reserve to walk in with free parking before crossing into Rhode Island on a rainy day. We have been truly blessed with good weather for almost this whole trip. The worst day of driving in the rain was Saturday leaving Acadia National Park. Today's drive in the rain was much shorter and we arrived at Leyden Farm Vineyards and Winery in West Greenwich, Rhode Island a little after noon. It was raining so we spent a pretty lazy afternoon, taking one walk on some beautiful dirt roads here, and we both took a long afternoon nap. This is a truly lovely location next to a pond near a grove of Christmas trees.

Camping by the Cranberry Bogs on Cape Cod

Red Brook where we hiked in a nature reserve in Massachusetts.

Our "campsite" at Lyden Farm Vineyards and Winery

A view of the woods near tonight's resting spot.

    

    The cats continue to do very well as we travel about. Straus was a bit stressed by the extra company of Scott and Kristy and found a new hiding place which we couldn't find for quite a while. It is amazing how he can find a spot to wiggle into. Rob has a rack for his shoes next to the bed and he was under the bottom shelf which certainly didn't seem high enough for him to hide under.

Elsie looking like she's warning me not to sit in her/my chair.

Straus waiting for bed

Elsie perched above Rob just before jumping up on top to hide out with Straus. She used to stay pretty hidden while we're driving, but I think she got bored with that so she will frequently go up and down, but she never bothers Rob and doesn't want to sit in my lap - she wants her independence.

Can you see Straus peaking above the dinette area? This is the part that slides out when we want more floor space, but he and Elsie have both found this to be their favorite place to ride while we're driving.