July 15, 2015
It had been my intention at the beginning of this trip to post a daily account of our travels. However, all the modern technology we have with us has failed to perform.
My new Jetpack from Verizon deleted my data allowance after the first day of use. We tried several times to call customer service with our Tracfone but it’s performance is so hit and miss we kept getting cut off while on hold. After three days we still don’t have internet access and the phone is still spotty.
After another day beating our way up I-81, we finally surrendered in a little place called Hegins, PA. The campground was at the bottom of a long 9% winding grade. My new diesel F 250 handled it perfectly shifting down when needed and braking smoothly. I am very pleased with the truck. In the morning it had to climb back out of that hole, which it did effortlessly.
Monday went well if you don’t count going around in circles with a thirty foot trailer in tow in rush hour traffic in Albany, N.Y.. I kept missing the exit. I did stop to ask directions when I found myself down a narrow side street. The guy explained a route that sounded easy enough. Off we go again up onto the expressway. Again we took the wrong exit and found ourselves headed for the Adirondacks. I almost changed my plans to go to Vermont at that point. The Adirondacks are nice.
We kept cool heads. We learned long ago all these things are part of the experience. If things like this didn’t happen there would be little to write about many days.
After several more attempts to land on Rt 7 east we finally crossed the Hudson River. That was a good sign we were headed in the right direction. We phoned ahead to Greenwood Lodge and Campsites in Woodford, Vt. which is located just east of Bennington, VT.
The owners run a tight ship. I felt like I had to qualify to get a campsite. However, they do a great job with the place. They purchased the two hundred acre property fifty five years ago. It has been the owners sandbox ever since. There are woods, open fields, streams and lakes. The many years of work preparing this place is obvious. They even have a “river walk” along a stream that runs from a man made lake. You really get the sense of being out in the wilds walking along the stream. The campsites are spacious with a variety of open and wooded sites. The utilities are very neat and functional unlike many places we have stayed.
I have a new name. I call myself by my native American name, “drives in creeks”. I picked a beautiful wooded site along a creek. It looked like a simple deal to back into it. However, I made a rookie mistake. I didn’t get out and look everything over before making my attempt to back in. I failed to notice I had little maneuvering room along the creek. As I started my way back into the site, I felt my rear wheel drop over the bank.
It is always a high point to a campers day to have some idiot drive into the campground and screw up in sight of everyone for entertainment. This was my first opportunity to be center stage. I took a bow and headed up to the office. While registering, I heard the owner tell his wife he was going out to put the tractor away.
A small tug from his tractor was all it took to pull me out of my precarious perch. Things could have been a whole lot worse. Darlie, the coward she is, sneaked away with the dog so as not to be associated with today’s village idiot. The upside though, I didn’t have to introduce myself to anyone in the camp. “Oh, you are the guy in the creek.”
We spent two days wandering around Bennington. It is a very picturesque community with a Revolutionary War legacy. President Lincoln’s son had an estate here which you can tour today. There are a couple of museums of local history and artists. The quaint downtown’s prominent feature is the clock at what is known as the Four Corners on Main Street. Many shops with things of interest to visitors fill the old buildings. All is very neat and spotlessly clean. A prominent feature when you enter the town it the tall war memorial commemorating the Revolutionary War battle fought here. You can buy a ticket at the memorial’s gift shop to take an elevator ride to the top where you have a panoramic view of the entire area.
We spotted an old Tasty Freeze building with a crowd of customers around it. We had to stop. We haven’t seen one of these places in years. Are they still in business?
The menu featured a Vermonster burger. We ordered two and some homemade fries.
Fifties music played from the outside speakers as we ate our lunch. It reminded us of simpler days.
Back at the campground we took a walk on the river walk to the lake. The air was cool. The air smelled of freshly cut hay. Birds sang.......you know the story.
The morning started with a gentle shower. We love the sound of rain on the roof of our trailer. Getting out of bed was just that much more difficult. We had to get up early to head over to Maine for our next stop.
The ride over was exhausting. There are no major highways that go west to east in New England. The secondary roads we traveled wound around and up and down. We decided to stop at a campground in Thomaston, ME. We will go onto Bar Harbor and Acadia NP tomorrow. We made reservations for three days. We hope to eat lots of lobster while we are there.
Tonight a very nice couple from Boston invited us over to sit by their campfire. Phil and Cheryl have been camping for many years. We chatted until well after dark sharing camping stories and warm fellowship.
I apologize for the photos. These are a few from my camera. Darlie has most of them on her camera but we forgot the cable to download them. We will pick one up and I will update this post with better photos.
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