George and I left for the Spring Escapade in Stockton on April 1,
where Alice and Adrienne and I manned the
RV Authors' Co-op booth. All three of us gave seminars.
After the Escapade, we visited with RV friend Myrna Courtney in
Grass Valley. My great-grandfather had a ranch there. My family saw the
old ranch when I was 16, but no way could I find it now. From there we drove the Loneliest Road in America (Hwy 50 in
Nevada) and saw Great Basin National Park on the way to explore Utah
National Parks. Lehman Caves is outstanding.
Utah National Parks
The most colorful of the parks is undoubtedly Bryce Canyon, but we also
stopped at Zion, Capitol Reef, Arches, Glen Canyon NRA and Canyonlands.
Hiking in the Water Pocket Fold in Capitol Reef
National Park was one of
my favorite activities when working at Glen Canyon. The layers are so
colorful. One side has been uplifted and tilted, plus compression has
formed canyons. It was fun to share it
with George and hike up into Surprise Canyon.
After leaving Utah, we visited Mesa Verde National Parks,
and, new to me, Great Sand Dunes National Park.
In each park we get a stamp in our National Parks Passport
book. My Rocky Mountain section and all the extra pages are full!
During the month of June, in the midst of our travels,
George participated in Script Frenzy. Each morning he would write about
1000 words a day towards the goal of 20,000 words. Read more about Script
Frenzy and NaNoWriMo here.
Minnesota and Michigan
After replacing our awning at the New Horizon factory in
Junction City, Kansas I became a South Dakota resident. Fourth of July was
spent in Eveleth, MN, George's hometown. We visited all three of George's
sisters while there. July 3rd, after a class reunion party, we walked the
streets of Eveleth, closed off to traffic. A band played. This is the one
day you can carry an alcoholic drink out on the street. The fireworks
started at 10:15 p.m. That's when it got dark. They were spectacular! I have no
idea how much they cost, but it was a perfectly timed display with wiggly
ones and others with meteor tails, plus multiple devices in gorgeous
colors and formations. It probably cost a small fortune.
From
Minnesota we headed east across northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I
have now been in all 50 states! Michigan was my last.
We saw numerous stands that sell pasties. (Short
"a" sound.) We stopped at this one. These are similar to meat
pies with little or no gravy. The Welsh miners took them down into the
mines for a hearty meal. Their lanterns had a built-in compartment for
both their pasty and tea.
We camped along Lake Superior and then Lake Huron. I am
in awe- the shores on the other side of these huge lakes are nowhere to be seen. Our appointment
in Elkhart for warranty work on our Mor-Ryde is July 11, but we took a day
to visit Mackinac Island and crossed the Mackinac bridge. We took the Star
Line ferry to Mackinac Island, the one that has the rooster tail. There
was an extra charge for our bicycles, but less expensive than renting them
on the island.
The island is famous for its summer cottages for the wealthy and the
Grand Hotel, a glorious old wooden hotel built in 1887 with the longest porch in the
world. After biking around the island (8.3 miles), we decided to splurge
and have the luncheon buffet. Not cheap but it was delicious. George
is rocking on the porch while we wait for lunch to start.
We are official " "Fudgies." This is the term
of endearment given to all tourists who come to Mackinac Island. Usually
most everyone buys fudge; hence the name. My son will be happy too- most
of the fudge we bought is going to him as a birthday present.
Indiana
We had work done on the Mor/ryde in Elkhart, Indiana. Mor/ryde knows
how to treat their customers right. They have RV hookups. Each day you are
there, they order out and provide a complimentary lunch. We also visited
the Amish Farmer's Market and the RV/MH Hall of Fame. It is a work in
progress. See Jaimie's Road Trip America column on the RV/MH
Hall of Fame with more photos by George.
New York
Heading to New York, we spent a few days near Buffalo and Niagara
Falls. We had a great day visiting the falls. We decided on a tour from
the RV park so didn't have to worry about parking, etc. We walked close to
Bridal Veils Falls, the smallest of the three falls that make up Niagara
Falls, on the Cave of the Winds tour. Years ago you could walk behind the
falls into a cave, hence the name. Now the closest you get is 20 feet from
the water on the Hurricane Platform. Even with the ponchos they provided,
you can't help but get wet.
We got even wetter taking the Maid of the Mist up into Horseshoe Falls,
the largest section that is on the Canadian side. Our boat motored up as
far as possible, barely holding even with the standing waves and torrents
of water pouring over the edge. We were drenched by the spray. George
looked off to our right and spotted a cormorant calmly diving for dinner!
The photo above shows the three falls: American Falls, Bridal Veil
Falls (just before the land, which is Goat Island) and the mist and spray
rising off Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side. The buildings are in
Canada. You can walk or drive to the Canadian side. Just make sure you
have proper ID so you can return.
Before leaving New York, we camped in Schuylerville, pronounced
Skylerville, at the Schuyler Yacht
Basin. The campsites were scattered in
the grass, but we sat out along the Hudson River/Champlain Canal enjoying
the beautiful evening as I used their Wi-Fi. Judy Dean, owner, was so
hospitable. Coffee is on at 7 a.m. It would be fun to rent a barge
and explore the canals in this part of the country. Judy said that is
possible. We did watch a paddle boat come by on a tour, another way to see
the area from the water.
Vermont
We explored the Burlington area, visiting the world-renown Shelburne
Museum, taking the
ferry across Lake Champlain for lunch in Essex and walking around the
waterfront. We visited the Vermont Teddy Bear factory. Wow, the outfits
and accessories for bears! As we left, we stopped in Waterbury for a tour
of the Ben and Jerry Homemade Ice Cream factory. What a hoot! Lots of bad
cow puns and a sample at the end of Triple Caramel Crunch- yum! Here's
George in front of the Ben & Jerry's RV.
Maine
We are staying in the New Harbor area in Maine. The coastal area is
gorgeous, though we've had high humidity and several foggy days. We had to
visit L. L. Bean in Freeport, about an hour and one-half south of here. We
met up with RV Lifestyle readers, Julie and Paul Tobias, in Freeport and
had a wonderful visit and lunch. They've taken some trips in their RV and
would like to travel more but the pull of grandkids is strong.
We also took the Hardy Boat Cruise out to Monhegan Island for the day.
We hiked about six of the 17 miles of hiking trails. Only a few old trucks
haul luggage from the docks to stores and hotels on a couple of miles of
roads. Otherwise, you hoof it. After buying sandwiches for lunch, we hiked
to the far side of the island (about .7 mile) to the cliffs and rocks with
crashing waves. We then hiked back around to the port. We visited the
light house museum and shops, then came back with a stop to see seals. We
saw a large gray seal (head looks like a horse's head) and a white seal.
On the way back they drew a name from all the passengers who turned in
an evaluation form. Mine was drawn so the next night we took the puffin
cruise. We saw lots of puffins and George got some excellent photos
including this one of a puffin flying. In another week or two, the babies
will have fledged and most of the puffins will leave. This island is the
southern-most point where puffins are found. In the 1970s, only two were
left after years of being hunted for their meat and feathers. The Puffin
Project was founded to repopulate the island and study puffins and the
other birds that nest there. Our naturalist on board was a student intern
for the project.
Follow Jaimie and Alice's travels now at our blog.
From
Minnesota we headed east across northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I
have now been in all 50 states! Michigan was my last. 
up Niagara
Falls, on the Cave of the Winds tour. Years ago you could walk behind the
falls into a cave, hence the name. Now the closest you get is 20 feet from
the water on the Hurricane Platform. Even with the ponchos they provided,
you can't help but get wet. 
ferry across Lake Champlain for lunch in Essex and walking around the
waterfront. We visited the Vermont Teddy Bear factory. Wow, the outfits
and accessories for bears! As we left, we stopped in Waterbury for a tour
of the Ben and Jerry Homemade Ice Cream factory. What a hoot! Lots of bad
cow puns and a sample at the end of Triple Caramel Crunch- yum! Here's
George in front of the Ben & Jerry's RV.
