Bar Harbor Maine

Downtown Bar Harbor Maine

Thursday July 21 2016 My day started with early morning coffee at the tail gunners RV site. This is a daily activity to help us get to know the other caravan'ers. I met about six men, I remember the names of two of them. Tomorrow is the start of the event and we will all be wearing our name tags, that should make things easier. Not that I'm alone in my forgetfulness. We met another couple from the group in town this afternoon, I had recognized their dogs from the campground. By the time we got home we all remembered the wife, Billee, but not one of the four of us could remember the husbands name.

Millie and I at the Bar Harbor docks

After breakfast we took the jeep into the town of Bar Harbor and did some souvenir shopping and people watching before continuing on a driving tour of Mount Desert Island, which by the way is home to Acadia National Park.

People watching in Bar Harbor

At lunch time we stopped in a small village, I think it was called Swans Cove. We bought sandwiches to go from a coffee shop and ate them outside at a picnic table. We wandered around stopping at some of the scenic overlooks to take pictures and got home around three in the afternoon. Somehow at the start our island circumnavigation we missed the road to the top of Cadillac mountain, the most predominate landmark on the island. We plan on returning in the morning for the drive to the top of the mountain.

We had a small conflict of interest this evening. There was a campfire get together for the Fantasy RV group at 7:30 and an Elvis impersonator at the campground activity center at 7:00. Luckily the Elvis performance was only an hour long so we got to enjoy the show and were only a half hour late for the RV social.

Bruce Nye, the Elvis guy

We got to meet some of our fellow travelers at the social and got to catch the act of a very good Elvis entertainer in his final season. Bruce Nye, the Elvis guy is retiring after the coming winter season in Florida. Millie and I have a special interest in Elvis impersonators, we had a surprise (to the guests) performance at our wedding reception by Myrtle Beaches boardwalk Elvis (David Chaney).

Millie and David Chaney, Myrtle Beaches Boardwalk Elvis

Hidden Lane Farm to Bar Harbor Maine

Hidden Acres to Bar Harbor Maine

Following Clay into Maine

Tuesday July 19 2016. Today's journey took motorhomes east across Massachusetts, up through Coastal New Hampshire and into Maine. We left I-95 at exit 42 and spent the night at Cabela's Outdoor outfitters. They are most welcoming to traveling RV'ers, with long parking spots, water, horse coral, dog run, and a sewer dump station. The store is huge and full of every type outdoor equipment imaginable.

Miles driven=260

fuel=none

Overnight stop at Cabela's Sporting Goods.

Wednesday July 20 2016. From Cabela's we drove about a mile down the road to a nearby Walmart for a few groceries, made a fuel stop and got back on the interstate to continue our trip to the rendezvous point for the Canadian RV Caravan. 

Arriving at Mount Desert Narrows Two Campground early in the afternoon we had plenty of time to check in with the wagon master of the caravan who gave us a short orientation, our credentials and info packet. The tail gunner for Fantasy RV caravans came around and applied numbered vinyl stickers to the front and rear of our motorhome. We also had the opportunity to meet several other RV'ers who are going on the trip.

A word about the Wagon master and Tail gunner. They are the guides for the road trip. The trip leader (Wagon master) travels early to the destination campgrounds to coordinate the arrival of the caravan. The members of the group travel independently stopping at points of interest along the way. The Tail gunner travels the route last in case anyone needs assistance.

Clay and I made an emergency repair to one of his side mirrors. It was knocked off last year by a truck, repaired by a local body shop, but yesterday Rebecca noticed it was moving when they hit a bump. We discovered all four of the holes in the fiberglass side were stripped out. We were able to move the mount enough to drill new holes, re-install the mirror and have the mounting base cover the old holes.

After dinner Clay, Rebecca, Millie and I rode into nearby Trenton to an LL Bean outlet store we had seen on our way in to the campground. Even at outlet prices, LL Bean is to expensive for me. Neither Millie or I bought anything. I think Rebecca bought some clothing. On the way home we stopped for ice cream. These people are corrupting me, that's twice this week I've broken my rule of not eating anything after dinner!

Miles driven=165

Fuel=$95.85, 42.43 gallons, $2.25 per gallon. (Scarborough, Maine)

Mileage=6.74 miles per gallon

Hidden Lane Farm

Lums Pond SP to Clay and Rebecca's farm

Monday July 18 2016. Today we drove north from Lums pond State Park in Delaware to our friends farm in New York. It was an uneventful interstate cruise up the Jersey turnpike to the the Garden State Parkway and finally to the New York State Thruway. Just south of Albany we crossed the Hudson River and drove the short distance to Hidden Acres Farm, home of our friends Clay and Rebecca.

Our motorhome at Hidden Acres Farm

Hidden Acres Farm

Rebecca invited us to dinner that afternoon and then we went out for ice cream. Along the way we stopped at a large dairy farm that Clay sometimes works at. Three farm workers tended to the 60 automatic milking stalls, the farm produces three tankers of milk (15,000 gallons) every day. It was impressive how the farm handled all aspects of breeding, raising and maintaining the large herd of cattle, but on the other hand it was somehow sad to see that dairy farming has evolved into a factory like operation. Gone are the days of an idealistic farm scene with cows grazing in a pasture, I won't say anymore, I don't want to spoil your cheerio's.

We drove 260 Miles today.

Fuel=$68.92, 34.475 gallons, $1.99 per gallon. (New Castle, Delaware)

=$63.87, 27.65 gallons, $2.30 per gallon. (Malden, New York)

Delaware

I have friends who embarked on a motorhome vacation two days before Millie and I left Myrtle Beach. They are a young family of four plus one dog, they've traveled from Maryland to New England, dropped back down thru New York City before turning west to Nashville. After a whirlwind tour of the music city they are now on the road heading west.

Meanwhile, Millie and I have traveled from South Carolina to Delaware.

I've been following theirs posts on Facebook and have deduced that they have an schedule full of activities as they crisscross the country. I know the Martin children will have memories that will last a lifetime, I think the parents will survive, the dog will just be happy to be with his family, no matter where they are!

Meanwhile, Millie and I have had no hard plans, scaled down our activities because of the heat and are surviving nicely. Our dog is happy to be with us no matter where we are!

The Martin family

I was pondering our different forms of travel recently because in a few days we will be joining a guided caravan tour. For 27 days we will be traveling and being tourists on a schedule. This is a heck of a time to think of this, but I'm not so sure about all that regimentation. Millie and I have mastered the leisure life style that eludes many people we see out here on the road. We are perfectly happy in the motorhome, doesn't matter where we're going or when we get there. Anyhow, the trip is paid for, we join the group this week and then we're off to Canada, details to follow!

Mom Midash and Maggie

Our stay here in Delaware was primarily to visit with my parents. They are in their early nineties and still living independently (kind of independently) in the home they've had since the 1950's. I have two brothers in Delaware who help them, Dave who lives close by, checks on them everyday.

My father has Macular Degeneration and some form of Dementia/alzheimers and my mother has to stay with him all the time unless one of the family gives her a break. After discussing it with my brother Dave we enrolled Dad in the VA medical program. Enrollment will give Mom access to the Caregiver support system, our goal is to get her some in-home help.

Besides my parents we also got to spend time with my son and his family, got to meet my granddaughter Delaney's boyfriend (I'm feeling old!) and visited some old friends.

Larry with Kristie and LJ

Dinner with good friends

My granddaughter Delaney

My friend Stanley in front of his new garage

Tomorrow morning we head north to Stuyvesant Falls, New York.

Newport News VA to Delaware

Newport News to Lums Pond

Day three, We departed Newport News at nine this morning, stopping for fuel before leaving the Virginia peninsula. Rather than back track through Hampton and Norfolk to get to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel, we took rt 17 north across the York river and followed it through the middle neck of Virginia. Intersecting with rt 301 we took it north to rt 50/301, turned right and were soon across the Bay bridge and on the eastern shore. From there it was a pleasant drive up 301 to Delaware and Lums Pond State Park. We arrived at Lums pond around three in the afternoon.

Lums Pond is the only campground in northern Delaware and for years has only had 6 sites with electric, no water, no sewer. The remaining 60 sites were primitive with no hookups at all. Over the winter, electric, water and sewer were installed at all 66 sites. All I can say is, how come it took them so long! It is now both a beautiful and functional park.

Lums Pond, Delaware

We drove 238 miles today. Fuel = 59 gallons, $2.05 per gallon, $120.93 total. Purchase from roadside stand $3 for six ears of corn. All meals in motorhome. Bridge tolls = York River bridge $4 and Chesapeake Bay Bridge= $12.

Day two in Newport News

Newport News Virginia City Park

Day two, we are still in the campground in Newport News City Park. This is a very nice wooded park that seems underutilized to us. There is hardly anyone here, loop A had 4 other campers when we pulled in yesterday, they all left this morning. There are two larger loops in the back but I don't think they have many campers either.

In the afternoon we visited Millie's Aunt Ida and Uncle O'Neil in Hampton, two of their children Sharon and Judy met us there. Millie had a printout of her family history for aunt Ida and that was the topic of the day. Millie is always doing genealogical research and quizzed Ida's excellent memory to fill in some missing information.

We didn't think to get a picture of the Donavant's for the blog, Ida is Millie's mother's youngest sister and the only surviving sibling from that generation.

On the way back to the park we stopped at Lowes for Brackets and screws to repair the broken storage drawer under the dinette. We saw an interesting looking restaurant called Cheddars and decided to stop for an early dinner. Meal was very good, building acoustics made interior very loud, found out Cheddars is a chain restaurant.

Back at the motorhome we repaired the broken drawer and still had time to take Maggie for a walk around the park.

Cheddars = $25, Lowes = $11.

Canada bound!

The little black circles don't mean anything. When I move the computer generated route line to the road I want to use it leaves the circles. In this instance the computer routed us up I-95, I pulled the line over to rt 17.

Leaving home for an extended period is always a little unsettling. As practiced as we are, we're always concerned we'll forget something or not secure the condo properly. This trip we thought we were pretty near ready to go and discussed leaving midday on Friday. Not wanting to rush and forget something, I decided to stick with the plan and leave on Saturday. Feeling a bit smug with our preparations we rolled up the road and didn't realize we forgot Maggie's dog food until we stopped to eat in New Bern North Carolina. So much for all our check lists!

As we've been doing for a few years our preferred route is Hwy 17 up through North Carolina. Usually at Virginia beach we take the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel to the eastern shore and then drive Route 13 up to northern Delaware, which where I was raised and still home to my family. This trip, because we are laying over two nights in Newport News Virginia, I will stay on Rt 17 up through Virginia on the western side of the Chesapeake Bay. That's a story for another day, tomorrow we visit with Millie's kin here in Newport News.

No fuel fills yet. We drove 340 miles, staying at Newport News Park Campground, a city owned park. Cost with senior discount is $33.92 per night. Brunch at Bojangles=$13, dinner in the motorhome=$0.