Category Archives: To New England

Rhode Island

Family, 11/05/2015

Ellen’s half sister, Elizabeth, lives somewhere in Rhode Island. We had planned to relocate to a campground on Rhode Island’s sea shore yesterday to be closer to her, thinking she would live by the sea. The rental car would go back and off we would go. It was a good thing that Ellen messaged Liz. Liz lives in Woonsocket R.I. which is on the northern border with Massachusetts, about a twenty minute drive from here. There was no point in pulling up stakes to head to Newport when Foxboro is closer. Caile at Enterprise said we’d have no problem keeping the car for another two days. OK, now to extend our campground stay.

That was sketchy at first. The guest who reserved site 1001 had not cancelled and we would have to move. Jess gave us site 611, but another gal, Carla, said that the guest who vacated 611 moved to 612 and they wanted 611 for friends arriving today. Jess had been booking 611 while Carla was on the phone and saw 611 got reserved. I waited patiently while Jess looked for another site for us. There were no other sites available for two days! With me standing there, Carla said, “if that’s what has to be, it’s OK”. I thought we had just been bumped. Instead Jess handed me the 611 signs for the car and RV. ON Veteran’s day weekend the fees at the campground are half off. Even the sticker I purchased was 50% off. No wonder the camp was filling up.

Also Thursdays is roaming propane day. I ordered a propane fill at the desk and was assured that a truck would drop by after noon and fill our tank. We wouldn’t have to be at the RV. Great. I wonder if the propane is 50% off too?

Normandy farms Family Camping Resort, Foxboro Ma.

Moving from #1001 to #611 was a breeze with the rental car. Hoses, stabilizers, leveling blocks, mats, everything but the electric cable went in the KIA trunk. With antenna down and push-out in, we drove the 200 yards to #611. The site was nearly flat with no need for the leveling blocks, but there’s a maple tree that precludes sat reception. I tried jockying the beast about, but “resistance was futile”. Still there are the local cable channels.

Ellen messaged Liz to plan our next few days. She will call Liz at 1pm and in the meantime we walked the campground. The rec. lodge is remarkable for it’s size and comfort. You walk through a small foyer with flyers and a few vending machines into the large meeting hall. Rooms sit on either side of the hall, ping-pong tables sit in a glassed in room to the right with stairs going up to an adult only loft with a fireplace, tables, and games. The room to the left of the hall is a game arcade, rest rooms and stairs going up to a children’s loft with tables and games. To the left of the hall stairs go downstairs to the indoor heated swimming pool, the Jacuzzi, and weight room. There are two pool tables in the adult loft with doors that lead into a large deck overlooking two outdoor pools. This is indeed a resort and not simply a campground.

We relaxed on the deck for a bit. Ellen pointed out a propane truck near The Beast that she had seen drive by. Moments later a phone call from the desk interrupted our reverie. All our bins were locked; the propane guy couldn’t access our tank. I assured Carla that the propane access panel was not locked (actually it cannot be locked). With growing confusion over where the access panel was, took the short walk over to Li’l Beast. The propane guy was gone! Carla assured me that he would be back in a few minutes; and he was. The fill took a few minutes and he was off to fill another RV. I am always amazed that a propane fill takes so little propane.

In the meantime, Liz had contacted Ellen. The best time to visit would be Saturday. We had thought perhaps they could come to the lodge and enjoy the Jacuzzi and pool, etc, but that’s not going to be since Liz’s daughter, Vanessa, had to worked late Friday night. Liz will be baby sitting the her grandchild. We have two more days to explore New England.

Newport R.I.

By now it was late, closing in on 3 pm, but Newport is only an hour away. we figured we could cruise down to Newport and visit the seashore. Newport was my favorite place to surf while I was learning in my teens. I remember some gorgeous houses right on a beach in the area.

Not the houses I remember, but what a location

we were loading the KIA when our neighbors arrived. I walked over and met Dennis, Kathy, and their two papillons, one a few week old puppy. Who doesn’t have a soft spot for puppies and kittens? Ellen joined the conversation moments later. Dennis said, “If you do go to Newport you have to stop at”, then he asked his wife if she remembered the restaurant’s name. “Anyway, you have to stop there for a bite to eat. The memorabilia hanging on the walls and from the ceiling is fascinating and the food is good. It’s in a red brick building at the start of the main drag.” Kathy remembered the name: the Brick Alley Pub and Restaurant.

The drive to Newport goes quickly. Beware of the drivers around Providence, Surprisingly it was here in Rhode Island that we saw some of the worst driving on this trip. Cutting across lanes to make an exit, high speed passing and swerving through traffic to “get ahead”. We enjoyed the bridges to the islands, though you pay a toll going and coming: $2.00 per axle. I attempted to find the beach I surfed eons ago, and failed. We drove Ocean Avenue around Brenton Point State Park. The Ocean Avenue drive is past palatial homes fronting on the ocean. We drove past a dramatic Inn, U-turned, and stopped at the Ocean Cliff Inn. The inn’s architecture is very dramatic. The house was build in 1864 as a summer home for Arthur Bronson of New York. The original house burned down. The current house (Brownstone) was rebuilt in 1894-1896 by Gaun Hutton of Baltimore, It was converted into an inn in 1954.

Ocean Cliff Inn, Newport RI

Ellen and I walked to the expansive side deck overlooking the bay and ocean. I walked back to the front of the inn and through the entry along with a wedding party returning for dinner. At the desk I asked if the rooms were varied and about the restaurant’s menu. Each room is different, some are small, some have detached private bathrooms, some are large. The daily rate for a room was surprisingly reasonable. “Would you like to see some of our rooms?” “Let me find my wife, she would love to see a room or two”, said I. Meanwhile Ellen had been looking for me. The two wooden doors that are the front entrance look nothing like the entrance to an inn and more like a double door to a private suite. Chris very graciously showed us six of the rooms in the inn. His favorite is also the least expensive. What makes it unique are the third floor double windows overlooking the bay facing the queen bed. It is a small but intimate room.

Parking in downtown Newport is free from November first through the winter. That is far preferable to the $27 we were charged in Harvard Square for a two hours. Brick Alley Pub has an eclectic menu including Steamed Portuguese Little Neck Clams and a surprisingly complete wine list including St. Clemens Oroppas. We ordered too much food: an order of Steamed clams each, and an entree each. The Steamers were prepared in a broth of green peppers, onion, and a Portuguese sausage and served in the broth. The clams were great. The sauce was made for dipping and Sue, or waitress, waited to bring bread until the clams arrived at table. She didn’t want us eating he bread without the sauce! The appetizers were a full meal.

The Pub

Keep On Truckin’ in the Pub

What’s with his hair?

In the Pub

Margherita Pizza

They Have Steamers!!

And Here They Are!

We Each Had a Bowl

The drive back to “camp” (It is more like a resort) was fast and uneventful. At the entry gate, our code would not work. I tried a number of times then gave up and called the night entry number. A few minutes later camp security arrived to let us in. My code should have worked, perhaps it was not renewed.

The Ocean Cliff Inn

Newport and Points South, 11.06.2015

We’re headed to Newport again. I’m sure the beach I surfed and the houses I drooled over are on the shore south of Newport. We’ll visit Jamestown on our way south.

I just called Rhode Island’s EZ Pass office to see if and how we can get an EZ Pass. Their office is in Jamestown. We’re headed that way anyway, why not get an EZ Pass for The Beast? We’ll see how this goes. Talking to Jamie at the office, there is seldom a wait. We’ll get the pass today. It will be activated in Rhode Island tomorrow and out of state a day later. Sounds good to me.

More to come when we return.

Home Town

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Today we left still later than usual. We stopped by the Normandy Farms office to extend our stay another day. Our campsite is booked on 11/05. and the entire campsite is booked this weekend. Is there a PAT’s game at Gillette Stadium? Probably. We’ll be moving on to Rhode Island, though we may visit Boston one last time.

Walden Pond, Concord Massachusetts

Our first stop was Concord. I have fond memories of family visits to Walden Pond as a child. I caught craw fish, walked and swam in the pond, and read On Walden Pond by Henry David Thoreau. The pond holds a special place in my memories.

Walden Pond in Glorious Color

The parking lot as I remember it is on the right as you drive past the pond. Not so any longer. We drove right past the large parking lot to the left before the pond. Another U-turn for the record books. Luckily, I am not counting. There is an $8.00 fee for all day parking, $10.00 for out of staters with an electronic payment kiosk at the entrance. When we drove up there were two cars ahead of us and two guys at the kiosk not making any progress. I walked up to make the count three. The first fellow tried everything he could think of and anything we two suggested. Nothing worked. Then a passer-by said, “That machine will not work with the new chip cards!” Oh, right. Things went smoothly thereafter.

Fall Foliage in November

Funny though, The two guys ahead of me paid, got their ticket, and drove off. There I was at the kiosk with forty feet between me and our car. The fellow in line behind us grew very impatient as i was paying our parking fee, to the extent that he had words with Ellen and was starting to drive around us as Ellen moved into the driver’s seat and I walked back to the car. He said something about holding the line up and I responded with, “You cannot wait a few minutes while I get a ticket. Why are you in such a rush?” Apparently, Ellen had already suggested he cool his jets. We parked and never saw the guy again.

Mockup of Thoreau’s Pondside Home

Apparently Walden Pond has grown more popular in the past 50 years. The parking lot is many times larger, there is a mock up of Thoreau’s house near the parking lot, and a huge visitor’s center is under construction. A statue of H.D. Thoreau stands on the walkway toward the pond and a ranger greets visitors.

Ranger Nick

Nick said the population has roughly doubled since the ’60s and a number of improvements have been made. Yes the parking lot used to be past the lake on the left side. Prior to 1974, the pond was administered by the town of Concord though the land is owned by the state. In 1974 the area became a state park administered by the state park system. Cement piers have been erected at the site of Thoreau’s home. Nick also mentioned that Walden Pond, a glacial lake, is the deepest body of water in Massachusetts at 100 feet. I asked about fishing. I was an avid fisherman back then, but never caught anything on the lake. Nick said the lake has been stocked, there are big mouth bass, trout, and muskellunge. A passerby stopped to say, “Yes, there are muskellunge in the pond, but they’re hard to find”. Nick said the lake drops off quickly and there is no water flowing into or out of the pond. There is no natural place for the fish to congregate and local fishermen will not share where they find the fish.

A Peaceful Walk

Nick also recommended that we walk around the lake.

Thoreau’s Homesite Memorialized

Today was a very unusual day for November; it was much more like September. There was no wind and not a ripple on the lake, except for the wake kicked up by two swimmers. The air temperature was in the low 70’s with highs in the low 80’s in the sun. It was glorious to be walking the lake remembering things as they were years ago. One summer Greg, Fitzi, and I bicycled from Arlington to the pond up Rt 2!

We took a number of photos as we walked around the lake.

From Walden Pond, we drove through the towns of Concord and Lexington. Not surprisingly, both have grown in size. The streets are very busy. I had hoped to find Buttricks Ice Cream in Lexington. The family would drive to Buttrick’s on Sunday afternoons for a family drive and a treat. Mom would always have Mocha Almond Fudge in a cup. I always had a coffee frappe. I could not find Buttrick’s in Lexington or in Arlington. They and Brigham’s have gone out of business?

From Lexington, I drove to Arlington thinking I’d remember the way. I didn’t! We wound up using GPS to drive into Arlington on Summer Street, a back road and not Mass Ave.! I recognized the turn onto Mill Street by the old Sporting Goods Store build near the bridge over Mill Brook. The Sporting Goods Store was gone. School was getting out and traffic on Mills Street was wicked (a Massachusetts term). Turning Right on Mass Ave. we passed Arlington High School. I turned left onto Field Road and left again onto Woodland Ave to head back to Bartlett Ave. This was my old home turf, between Mass Ave., Bartlett Ave, Brantwood Road, and Pleasant Street, and especially Menotomy Rocks Park.

Menotomy Rocks Park

This park was one of my go-to places to fish, climb rocks and trees, make lean-to hideaways, and imagine life hundreds of years ago. I played a few football games in the field here. Used a fly rod to catch bats in the evening. We discovered this could be done while practicing fly casting one evening.

The Pond

Funny how the streets that seemed too wide and long as a child, look narrow and short today. I drove Bartlett Ave and pointed out Harry’s house, our doctor’s house on Jason Street, Rick’s house on Gray Street, Fitzy’s house at the corner of Gray and Jason. We walked the pond in Menotomy Rocks Park stopping to talk with two older gentlemen who happened by. The small merry-go-round was gone. Older kids would turn it so fast that smaller kids would be launched from it or get sick or both. I was both a smaller kid and later one of the big ones. I remembered tobogganing down the slope above the now playground and having the toboggan hit a tree and split in two. We had all bailed out before impact. Then there is “Eagle Rock”, an outcropping in a hillside that was a favorite place to play and imagine other times and places.

Eagle Rock

My Neighborhood in Arlington Mass.

The Boston Skyline from Kensington Park

We walked across Jason Street and up Brantwood Road to Kensington Park and the house where my siblings and I grew up. The houses are just as I remember them, though the colors have changed. There was the house the English Professor rented, there the house the Lickliter’s owned, there the house where I raided the concord grape vines one summer, there the house where my childhood friend lived and his father had me help harvest his pears. He was a psychologist. There the house the first black family in the neighborhood bought. And there was my old house. I had forgotten that I had a view of the Boston skyline from my 3rd floor windows. Many of the houses in the neighborhood now have a historical plaque displayed prominently by the front door announcing the original owner and the year the house was built.

Neighborhoood Heritage Homes

We walked past the house where I was badly bitten by a dog. We walked past the house where I traded something of value for a small toy car. My parents walked me back to that house and had the trade reversed after they read me the riot act and had calmed down. We walked past the house the artists owned where I often climbed the highest pine tree in the neighborhood as high as I could go and felt the wind sway the vary top of the tree. We walked past the house where my friends and I interrupted a girl’s sleep-over (I will say no more).

Neighborhood Homes

Neighborhood Foliage

Thanks to my mother’s decision to move into a neighborhood with extremely good schools, I had the joy of growing up in a thriving neighborhood.

My Childhood Home

Harvard Square, Cambridge Ma.

Hunger set in and we headed to Arlington Center for a bite. We drove past the center and on to Harvard Square, passing the old sub shop, the old pizza shop, the fire station, the music school (that was no longer there), and into Cambridge. We parked in pay for parking and walked the square. Except for some large developments on the south side of the square, the buildings were the same as I remember but the shops were entirely different. I had hoped to stop by the Hoff Brau,, but it was gone. We walked past a number of fast food restaurants and cafes looking for an inviting place to eat. The deviled eggs on the menu at Grafton Street Pub and Grill really appealed to me. Ellen suggested walking Harvard’s campus which was just across the street. Off we went. Sometime later we discussed where to eat. Should we continue on or go back to Grafton. By now we were both starving and I was getting testy and really wanted to go back to the pub. Ellen, agreed we go back. We ordered deviled eggs, clam chowder, the Pork Loin entree and the steak entree. The meal was paced slowly giving us time to savor each bite. This might just be the best meal I have had on this trip. The Pork Loin was fabulous. Ellen had a remarkable steak and potato and arugula dinner. She had ordered the steak done medium rare and it arrived rare. I assume the waitress did not hear the “medium”, She went off shift before the entrees arrived. I mentioned that Ellen’s steak was done too rare;; Ellen added that she wanted the meat done medium rare, and the dish was whisked away. It took quite some time for the dish to return. The manager arrived with the steak. He said that rather than simply re-heating the meat, they had prepared and entirely new serving as the dish would lose some of its flavor if it were just re-heated. This was great service and a wonderfully presented and timed meal.

The Pub

Newburyport Green Head IPA

Pork Loin, Perfection

Study Hall and Theater build like a Church, Harvard Square

World War Memorial Church, Harvard

Caramel Macchiato & Sweet Cream Latte

On the drive home I missed a turn and wound up driving back and forth across the Charles River before finding route 90 south. Boston is like that. The roads are not well marked and often if you are not setup well ahead for a turn, you will have no way to make it. In California, we have Bots Dots, reflectors built into the highway. That reflection makes the lanes quite visible. We even have lighted roadways in many cases. In Massachusetts the roads are dramatically dark, the drivers can be anxious and dart across lanes; and the roads are notoriously poorly marked. Driving at night can be challenging.

Home again,, the beast sat awaiting our return.

Ron

Boston Massachusetts, 11.03.2015

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Indian Summer

After weeks of on again off again good weather with a smattering of cold rain, drizzle, and freezing temperatures, today was an amazing day. The sky was clear, there was no wind, and the temperature soared. It might have hit 80 degrees today. Many people were sporting T-shirts on the Gardens. It’s November in New England; this is September weather. Sometimes we get a few weeks of great weather in mid October that’s called Indian Summer. Mid October is one of the best times of the year to be in New England. This November weather is both highly unusual and very welcome.

This morning we had our typical late start on the day. Retirement does that to a person. We had our morning coffee and some breakfast in The Beast, then a time warp set in and *pop* it was 11:30 as we drove toward Riverside Terminal in Newton for the train to Boston. It’s a half hour drive to Riverside from the campground and another forty minutes to downtown by train from the station. With plenty of parking we had no problem leaving our rented KIA at Riverside. The Beast we left safely at the campground fully setup for our return.

Why is it that ticket kiosks are setup with the display facing the sun? There were three ticket booths that were not usable! There was no way to read the text. I tried shielding the display with my hand, my body, my day pack and nothing worked. Luckily there were two more ticket booths at train level upstairs that were oriented away from the sun. I said, “How poorly designed, to have the ticket kiosks directly facing the sun” and a ticket agent sitting nearby said, “Tell me about it. Those went in six years ago and were planned to face the other way. It’s been six years and nothing has been done to change them back. You should be here for a game.” He then took a ticket from his pocket and asked where we were going. “Arlington Station” I said. He then showed how to add a fare to the ticket; in this case four of them: two out to Arlington and two returning to Riverside. He said you can add more to the ticket as you need. Any number of people can share one card. He then activated the style for each of us and we boarded the inbound platform bound for Boston Gardens.

I know Arlington Station from my years as a teenager going to the Commons and Gardens to meet with like minded friends from all around the greater Boston area. We would hang out on Charles Street at a cafe or lounge around the Commons. It was a far more exciting place to be than my home town or Arlington, though we would also frequent Harvard Square. I was curious to see if I would remember how to get around Boston. The last time I visited the city on foot was 46 years ago.

The train from Riverside makes 17 stops on its way downtown. It does take some time, though the train was near empty when it left and never became crowded. We got off at Arlington and took the stairs up into brilliant sunlight and a very warm day. Ellen immediately took her coat off. I was toasty in my shirt. Boston Gardens is a beautiful open space in the heart of the city just south of Beacon Hill and Boston Commons. I remember swan boats on the small central lake, but there were none today. Either they no longer ply the lake or they’ve been retired for the season.

Boston Gardens

What a gorgeous day. Many of the trees were in full color. There were couples walking the grounds, students reading under trees, people on their lunch break enjoying a warm day outdoors. It felt like I had never left. The city was no more crowded than I remembered, though there was significantly more traffic. I found Charles Street easily; this was our hangout. Jim, Frank, and I would while away Saturday afternoons in Brigham’s talking about whatever interested us.

Charles Street, Boston

Would any of the old haunts still be there? Of course the buildings had not changed, but the store fronts were entirely different. The Church of the Advent had not changed, though everything else had. Brigham’s was still there, but it was now a Starbucks. Hunger was setting in as we walked Charles Street. We passed a number of small restaurants and bars that were appealing, but settled on Fig’s Restaurant. It was small and very busy. The host ushered us in with, “Sit anywhere you like” Ellen asked to be seated at the window and he said, “sit any place you like but not that table.” It was a four-top. Ellen asked to be seated at the bar and we began unloading our gear. I swung my day pack off my back while Ellen placed her camera on the bar. The host relented. “You have a lot of equipment and that is a very nice camera”, he said of my 400 mm lens. “Go ahead and take the four top by the window.”

That began a wonderful lunch. Ellen ordered a beat salad and I had the basil Gnocchi, both were exceptional What made the gnocchi especially good was the way they were placed in a bowl swimming in marinara sauce topped in the center with a mild cream and cheese sauce and flanked with fresh tomato and basil. The dish avoided becoming boring; each bite was different than the last.

I highly recommend Figs Restaurant at 42 Charles Street. The restaurant is small with bare brick walls and closely arranged tables. The restaurant can get noisy. That is a small price to pay for the quality of our lunch.

We walked Charles Street as I recalled some infamous moments Jim and I shared in 1967 and 68 here on Charles Street. We had fun together, Jim and I.

Boston Commons

Some photos taken in the Commons

The State House, Boston

From Charles Street we went back to Boston Commons to find the Freedom Trail. We saw it marked on a typical tourist map and thought it would be interesting to follow. What I did not expect was to find a brick path laid in the sidewalk with banners and trail markers along the way. It is quite an historic route winding past the State Building on Beacon Hill.

We walked and talked and followed the trail past King’s Chapel Cemetery, the oldest cemetery in Boston, to the Old Meeting Hall where the Declaration of Independence was first read to the people of Boston, on to the site of the Boston Massacre, and to Faneuil Hall, and the Marketplace.

King’s Chapel Cemetery

It was in the Marketplace that I saw Steamers on a menu. “Yes, we have steamers.” Then “Well, let me check to be sure we still have some.” And finally, “Yes, would you like an order?” Wow, finally I can order some Steamers and beer in celebration of the afternoon I spent with my Mom the last time we were both in Boston together. Then I had Steamers and beer a number of times as Mom and I walked around Boston and talked. The beer was a small pour, but good. The Steamers were all that I had expected. Everyone makes noise about Maine Lobster. I enjoy lobster, though I prefer steamed clams and Dungeness Crab by far. I suppose I prefer Steamers to crab only because I’ve had so few clams and so much crab these past few years.

Faneuil Hall

The Old State House

Details on the Old State House

On a Boston walk:

By now it was getting late. We walked down to Christopher Columbus Park by the harbor, past Joe’s, then headed back to the Arlington Station and home. Along the way we stopped into “Thinking Cup”, a coffee and pastry shop and left with a berry rice pudding and a caramel cheesecake. We found the Boylston Street outbound subway station. It was rush hour and the D-train headed to Riverside was crowded. There was standing room only with more passengers added at the next few stops before the car half emptied out at Fenway. Past the Chestnut Hill Station, the train became an express going directly to Riverside. The pastry survived the trip intact. Going home, traffic was heavy but flowed at a good clip. Our iPhone GPS apps guided us right back to Normandy Farms Campground. I punched our code into the gate control and we zoomed in at 9 mph. The Beast stood at site #1001 propped on his stabilizers, awaiting our return. With a twist to turn the water on, a push of the LP button, and some light switches we settled in for the night.

Site 1001 at Normandy Farms Campground has an opening through the trees to DirecTv’s satellites. It is not perfectly flat, but it is close to the heated shower facilities with seemingly unlimited hot water and floors so clean you could eat off them. We still have not visited the weight room, pool room, or indoor pool.

Tomorrow’s weather should mirror today’s. Boston beacons, we will return to follow the Freedom Trail again tomorrow, starting where we left off today. Jean O’Neil messaged us that the Museum of Science has a Pixar exhibit that presents the science/engineering behind the Pixar movies; we want to see that. Old Ironsides is moored in Boston Harbor and that is something I want to visit. Then there is Concord, Lexington, Arlington, and Cambridge yet to consider.

This morning I went over my Facebook posts since starting this road trip. How easily we forget all the people and places we have visited when faced with the people and adventure each day holds. What joy we have had! What new adventure will unfold tomorrow?

Tonight the Northern Lights should be visible from Massachusetts! This is quite unusual. We’re in the country and should have a good view if in fact the phenomenon is visible.

November 4, 2015

Boston’s glow to the north masked any northern light sighting we might have had. We tried. Our PVR recorded last Friday’s Real Time with Bill Maher with he interview of Tulsi Gabbard a vice chair of the DNC and guest Grover Norquist author of the “The Pledge” that republicans have signed not to raise taxes in the future. Caramel cheesecake enhanced the evening.

Today will be slightly cooler than yesterday, we will tour Concord, Lexington, Arlington, Hav’ad Squa’ya, and the Pixar exhibit at the Science Museum if we get that far today.

R & E

Cape Cod in November

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Scusset Beach Campground (11.01.2015)

We were up earlier than expected this morning after turning our clocks back an hour. The temperature was mild last night: 50 degrees outside and 57 degrees inside before we fired up the heater. Our electric mattress pad set on low is enough to keep us toasty at freezing temps. With heated restrooms and unlimited hot water, this campground was great. Once again being off season, the campground was very sparsely populated. We did meet a number of couples and dogs on our walks.

The skies were overcast this morning with intermittent rain drops striking the windshield as we drove off. There was nobody collecting fees both on the way in and on the way out. We headed further east on SR 6 toward Marconi Station and White Cedar Swamp. Terry, a good friend of Ed and Jean, told us to see the swamp if we visit Cape Cod and off we went.

Marconi Station and White Cedar Swamp

It is worth stopping at Marconi Station just for the history. The first transatlantic radio broadcast was transmitted from Poldhu on the coast of Cromwell England and received at Marconi Station, Wellfield Ma. Thoreau’s comment about Cape Cod inspired Marconi to setup a receiver there and in Maine. More information on Marconi Station

The visitor center was closed. I put the keys in the ignition, keeping my eye on a bicyclist riding toward us. The rider circled back to check out our license plate and rode over to the window. “Hi, do you need information?”, asked Bob Spiegleman. “No” I said initially, then thought better of it and added, “But there’s a wooden walkway through a swamp near by. Do you know how long the walk is?” That started a long conversation about Marconi, the swamp, steamers, did we rent our RV, wives and husbands with different last names. We had a good long conversation.

The White Cedar Swamp entrance is three quarters around the parking lot at Marconi Station. There’s nothing there now, erosion and storms took the towers. Bob mentioned friends with different last names who gave one child one last name and the other, the other. Or a couple whose last names were golden and brownmantle. They both changed their last name to champagne, a color mid way between brown and golden.

Bob also mentioned that there was a 100th year anniversary for the Titanic. The SOS transmitted from the Titanic was received here at Marconi Station. The station contacted a boat in the vicinity which saved a number of people.

We walked the bluffs where Marconi’s receiver once stood and walked off toward the swamp. The first few hundred yards are not remarkable, but as the scrub forest grows and the light is filtered by the leaves, the walk takes on a ethereal sense of peace.

Two equestrians riding beautiful muscular horses trotted by on the trail. A bit further on, the trail through the scrub forest crosses a dirt road and winds onto a raised walkway over a swamp. The trees change from wind blown scrub and dwarf pines to tall white cedar. This cedar must love having its “toes” wet. The White Cedar Forest thrives in the swamp. Cedar is a pine; the needles do not change color in the fall. Now and then a maple towers above the cedars with bright yellows and reds. As wonderful as walking the swamp was, to see it in peak foliage would be more so.

We had asked Bob about steamers. Most everything is closed now, he suggested cook’s or Cookies in Orleans. Climbing aboard The Beast, we both mentioned being hungry. Should we push on to Provincetown or head back to Orleans? We chose to drive to the fist of the cape. It’s not that much further and we should find lunch there, perhaps some steamers.

Provincetown Massachusetts

P-town was “happening” The street we drove in on led to a parking lot right on the bay. Before crossing toward the lot, I had to wait for a number of groups to walk past. They walked everywhere; on the sidewalk or in the middle of the street; quite a contrast to the near empty towns we passed. Great a parking lot. Better still, a sign out front read, “Enjoy Free Parking”. It was a large lot and it was nearly full. I recognized immediately that I would have trouble maneuvering the parking lot and would probably not find parking. Heading back out of town, we found a still larger and empty lot with plenty of parking and a short walk back to Commercial Street.

We checked the menu posted outside the first restaurant we found. No steamers. We went inside and found a typical warm dimly-lit bar and numerous tables and chairs, some with customers enjoying lunch. We waited a few moments hoping to ask if they had steamers. A few too many moments later, we left to walk main street. I’ve craved some steamed clams with beer since crossing the Mississippi. We walked on. Commercial street was busy. Two places appealed to us: The Squealing Pig and The Lobster Pot. The Squealing Pig was packed and we loved the aroma coming from the kitchen. The wait was too long; the Lobster Pot won out.

The Lobster Pot has a restaurant in the back on the ground floor and a bar and tables on the second floor. We were led to a side table on the ground floor when Ellen asked if there was seating for lunch upstairs. She preferred to sit facing the bay. “Yes, there is additional seating upstairs beyond the bar area. Yes, they have the same menu.” We headed to the bar and were seated at a table overlooking the bay. Just as Ellen wanted. Ellen enjoyed a hot lobster roll and broccoli gratin, and I had clams; not steamed, but fried. They were great!

The Lobster Pot overlooks P-town’s bay and pier. Walking toward the pier after lunch we passed a sign “Steamers 9.99”. REALLY? I had to ask. I popped into the diner and asked if they still had steamers. A women said, “We sure do, and they’re on sale today. Do you want some?” No, we had just eaten. Next time I’ll hold out a bit longer before settling. The Lobster Pot was scrumptious, but pretty expensive. $9.99 for Steamers could have been a deal. Oh Well…

A Fox?

Walking toward the Beast, I noticed a mid-sized animal loping behind our RV heading right-to-left. It was too big to be a cat. Dogs do not lope. I pointed it out to Ellen just as it disappeared behind the RV. Seconds later a white tailed fox appeared. Its pace increased as two couples jumped out of their SUV to watch agape as the fox ran past. Ellen did get a photo or two before the fox disappeared.

Sunset on the way to Foxboro

Normandy Farms Family Camping Resort (11.02.2015)

Bruce and Vivian had told us about Normandy Farms Family Camping Resort in West Foxboro MA. I had called earlier in the day and they were open and could accommodate us for two or three days. They would be full on the weekend; we would not have a space on Saturday but would Sunday afternoon. That’s fine. I asked about car rentals and Jessie said the enterprise was very close and would deliver a car, but that we should consider taking the train into downtown Boston and not driving.

We left P-town headed to Foxboro knowing that we would miss the beginning of the game. Come to find out the game would not be carried on DirecTv. The Raiders are notorious for blacking out games. I was hoping that a local east coast channel would broadcast it. The JETS are local, right? Wrong. We arrived and were given site #1001, with a good view to the south through some trees and a cable hookup for local channels, but no channel carried the JETS game. We can watch The Good Wife and a few of our other favorite shows tonight and Wednesday if we chose to stay three days.

Normandy Farms Campground is huge and very well appointed. The “office” is like a ski chalet. There is a heated indoor pool. For the three weekends prior to Halloween, they have weekend events celebrating Halloween including hay rides. We have not walked the grounds, checked out the pool, the restrooms, or the laundry. We’ve settled in for the evening.

Issues with The Beast

Last night we learned that an “F” reading on our gray tank means. It does not mean nearly full or almost full or don’t worry about it full. It means full. I was settling in for the night while Ellen was organizing things on her way to bed when she noticed a rather nasty odor in the shower. She had washed out our crock pot earlier and that was enough to push the gray tank into overflow. A gray tank overflow is a pretty nasty thing. This was clearly my fault for not connecting the septic hose and draining the swamp. So it was that I found myself outside in the dark moving The Beast closer to the drain, monkeying with our sewer lines, and emptying tanks when I’d much rather be inside asleep. With the tanks empty, Ellen took on the task of cleaning out the shower pan. About an hour later all was well in Mudville, well almost.

The next morning I tried dialing in DirecTv. To get closer to the drain last night, I had moved The Beast. That little move was enough to throw reception off. Even re-aligning the antenna failed. Next I wasted half an hour calling RV Service Centers in and around Foxboro looking for someone who could take us on short notice. All the large dealers were slammed. The soonest anyone could take us was Nov. 12th. We cannot wait around that long. Giving up I arranged for Enterprise to deliver a car to the campground. We plan to anchor The Beast for a few days and use a car to explore Boston, Cambridge, Arlington, and Martha’s Vineyard. Enterprise car rental often delivers to campgrounds if there is an office nearby. It’s a great business niche for them. I arranged for a KIA to be delivered at 10:30, giving me time for a shower (unlimited hot water, heated room, spotlessly clean) and to help Ellen with laundry.

Enterprise Car Rentals, Foxboro Ma.

At the office I bought another fifteen feet of sewer hose minutes before our KIA arrived. That rental went quite smoothly. For out of state rentals, Enterprise requires a major credit card and of course a valid license. We’re thinking that renting a car when we stop for more than two days makes more sense than purchasing, insuring, and hassling with towing car would. This was our first car rental “on the road” and it went very smoothly.

Brad’s RV Service

Back at The Beast, there was activity in the neighboring fifth wheel. I walked over to meet Joe who was breaking down and storing the family summer equipment. We talked RVing, retirement, work, and avoided solving the world’s problems. I turned to walk away, but something made me mention that we had a hot water problem in our RV. I described the two problems: 1. water flows in both the hot and cold lines, but both run cold. Yes, the water heater is running and is hot. We actually get a short flow of warm water before it goes cold. and 2. The cold water outlet in the kitchen is not running at all. Joe first said, “That sounds like a check valve problem” (which I thought too) then, “I have a fellow coming to winterize my RV and do some caulking for me. Perhaps he can help you out too. He’s a great guy, a retired police man”

I called Brad who said he was on his way and sure, he’d look at my problem. Ellen and I now were resigned to a day of rest with some work on Li’l Beast. I added a second latch to the most egregious door, the one that insists on slamming open around turns. Tested out our compressor and some new fittings, they work just fine. We unfurled our outdoor patio rug for the first time and folded it to make storage easier. I setup the fifteen foot sewer line extension. In the mean time Brad had arrived and was working on Joe’s rig. Sometime later I walked over to introduce myself to Brad and to be sure he didn’t forget me. Brad works out of a small van that is chock full of tools and parts. I was very impressed with Brad’s confidence, warmth, and the tools he brings with him on the job.

Around 2 Pm, brad drove up behind The Beast and we got down to it. I said that first time we experience a problem with hot water was in the morning at a campsite what was closing. The campsite manager had said the water would be turned of at 10:30 Am. I left our line connected through the night. It dropped to 27 degrees, but with our black and gray tank heaters we were in good shape. However in the morning we had no water pressure at all, NONE! The campsite water valve was open, but there was no water in the line. The campsite manager had purged their pipes. I had used our water pump, but had no hot water pressure at all. Days later, the kitchen cold water stopped flowing.

Brad said, “yeah, the campsite probably ran 120 psi. through their pipes. That’s not good for you RV. First he checked the aerator on the kitchen sink and found some debris in the screen, but not enough to stop the flow. Next Brad asked if we had a diverter for the under-sink filter. We scrambled to locate the plug, which we had moved into successively remote locations. With the filter removed and the plug in place, we had cold water flowing. The filter was clogged. Problem #2 solved in about fifteen minutes. I run with two filters one outside and the one that went bad. I wonder how effective the outside filter actually is.

Next Brad tested our lines. He switched the hot tank diverter to see how the system behaved. He asked how many check valves The Beast has. Then he went to the lowest point of the hot water lines, the outside shower and turned on the hot water. There was no flow. Ah Ha! Brad said there is no flow out of your hot water heater. It’s your check valve that prevents cold water back flow into the hot water tank! I had read about this, bought a replacement check valve at Camping World, but I did not have the tools to easily replace the valve. I gave Brad the check valve and he installed it in no time flat. That fixed our second hot water problem. Brad was very easy to talk with. In fact we spent more time talking with Brad than it took him to fix our problems.

Brad said that had I called him to schedule this repair, he would not have been able to do it. He has over a thousand clients and he is book through December 2nd. Since he was here at the campsite to winterize Joe’s 5th wheel he’d take the time to look at our problems. Wow. If I had not mentioned our trouble to Joe this would never have happened. The only other fellow I’ve met who instills the same level of confidence was Tim, the fellow who did our initial checkout at Crowley RV. I tried to have Tim look at The Beast, but he was booked out a month.

Brad did say, “Call me anytime” As he is a mobile service I asked, “Is a service call to California out of the question?” Brad’s initial charge is $60 for travel and $70 for the first hour. He charged us $70, waiving the travel charge. He may not be able to help you out, but it is worth a call if you’re stuck near Foxboro Massachusetts.

Brad’s RV Repair 508-951-7607 he is a Full Service Master Technician and a very nice guy.

Brad’s Web Site

Nespresso in Massachusetts

When we finished cleaning up it was past 3 Pm. We’re running out of Nespresso capsules and there is a Nespresso Boutique at Bloomingdale’s in Newton, a thirty minute drive. Off we went. Our iphone GPS guided us flawlessly to Bloomingdale’s, once we knew for sure that’s where we wanted to go. Ellen called Nespresso to find that there is a boutique in Chestnut Hill. ???? My research showed 225 Boylston St Newton as the address. We went round and round for a while before realizing that Chestnut Hill is a shopping center in Newton. It’s address is on Boylston St, Newton.

The Nespresso shop is on the first floor of Bloomingdale’s men’s store. We found it with ease and after a short wait for two customers ahead of us, we returned a large number of capsules for recycling and took about 150 away with us. There are only two Nespresso outlets in Massachusetts, both near Boston. We collected 2 bags for recycling, via US mail, free of charge.

Tokyo Japanese Steak Restaurant

We were both hungry and asked our sales fellow where he would recommend we eat. He mentioned The Cheese Factory, a Mexican place, and two Japanese restaurants. He said by far the better one is on the 2nd floor. That turned out to be Tokyo Japanese Steak Restaurant. We love steak, but why eat beef at a Japanese Restaurant. Sure, Kobe Beef is world famous, but for Japanese, we think sashimi and sushi. We set our hesitation aside (fish at a beef restaurant is usually a bad idea), and ordered our favorites: Hamachi Sashimi, Spicy Tuna Hand Rolls, Spicy Hotate Roll, and a Dragon Roll. All were very satisfying and delicious.

Our iPhone GPS guided us back to the campground. We fearlessly negotiating traffic circles as they are called in Massachusetts, watched for two police vehicles that Waze pointed out, and avoided much of the 6 pm traffic. Waze is pretty amazing. Waze records information from its subscribers to compare subscriber speed with posted speed limits to gauge traffic patterns. It is very good at guiding a driver around traffic and it did not let us down.

“Home” now, we are fully connected: our stabilizers are setup, our antenna is deployed with exceptional reception, and we have fully functional hot and cold water. We’ll check out the indoor heated swimming pool, weight room, and pool tables some other day.

Cape Cod, Massachusetts

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Visiting Western Massachusetts

I had mixed feelings leaving Ed and Jean this morning. I look forward to new adventures: Cape Cod, Boston, Martha’s Vineyard, and wandering our way. Each will be exciting! But leaving Ed and Jean is sad. I would love to spend more time with Ed and getting to know Jean better. Still it was time to go, The two extra days we willingly lingered meant cutting out our trip to North Hampton and Rye Beach New Hampshire. There will be no stop at Brown’s Restaurant Hampton Beach NH. The mountain coaster and zip lining we did in the Berkshires, meeting Terry, and having another two days with Ed and Jean more than make up for the two “lost” days.

Ed Plays the Blues

Ed and I played guitar some and Ed showed me some of his prints. He carves linoleum and creates prints from them. He has a press in his “man cave”. He teaches computer programming to elementary school children a few times a week. He also reads about computer programming and algorithms. For a retired guy, Ed keeps himself very busy. Then he and Jean are building a custom home in the hills that is amazing. The electric guitar Ed is shown playing, he found in the attic of their home! It’s a good guitar with great action.

The Guitarists

Maxie Expecting to go on a Trip

After saying our goodbyes, we headed east toward Boston leaving late, much later than usual. We had a surprising pile of stuff to pack back into “The Beast”. Looking for campgrounds around Boston, AllStays showed three all-year campgrounds: one in Worcester, one in Rhode Island (!?!), and one on the Cape. We chose to try Scusset Beach State Park on the bay side of Cape Cod. About an hour into our drive, Ellen called the state park and got no answer. This is usually not a good thing, It indicates a closed campground. Still we drove on with a sense of foreboding.

Past Peak and Still Wonderful

Typical for us, as we neared the beach we made a wrong turn that sent us over the Sagamore Bridge. In a futile attempt to U-turn, I turned into the parking lot of a huge supermarket. We needed some provisions and took the opportunity to stock up. Back on the highway and knowing exactly how to get back over the bridge, I was forced the wrong way on SR 6 and went another five or six miles out of our way. That’s no big deal, really. Back over the bridge, we turned onto Scusset Beach Road headed toward the park. Our GPS went wacky and kept telling us to turn around and take some other road. Knowing better we followed Scusset Beach road to the park. As we arrived, our McNally GPS chimed in with, “You have arrived at your destination”. Good to know, I thought.

We drove into the reservation parking lot, which was practically empty. I walked around the reservation building and found it deserted. There was a map of the park with a number of designated RV campsites shown. We drove on to the RV campground.

The RV campground is a combination of open campsites and some campsites sheltered by trees. The campground is located alongside the Cape Canal which allows boats to go from the bay side to the ocean without navigating around the cape’s arm. It is a wonderful place to camp off season. We saw a few large RVs and some 5th wheels as we drove in. Great, it’s open we thought.

As we neared a 5th wheel, I stopped, got out, and talked with Bruce and Vivian about the campsite. As luck would have it, the campground is partially open. It is open on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of the week and closed the other days. At the end of December the campground may close until spring. Bruce said the ranger he spoke with “was not sure” when they would close, but for now the water was still on. We had a place to stay for the night! My plan to rent a car and make forays to Concord, Lexington, Arlington, Cambridge, and Boston from a campsite were dashed. We had no place to camp tomorrow. Now what would we do?

Bruce and Vivian to the rescue! They recommended a year-round campsite in Foxboro that is five star and full service. They could be booked full weekends, but Bruce thought on Sunday and mid-week we would have no problem getting a site. With the sieve my memory has become of late, Vivian wrote down the camp’s name: Normandy Farms Campground Foxboro Ma. As I was talking with Bruce, Ellen climbed out of “The Beast” and joined the conversation. RV people are a great. We spoke until it was apparent we all were getting cold. It was a brisk 46 degrees with the sun setting.

We chose a site and settled in with good sat and excellent local channel reception. We walked the beach. The east coast beaches are of soft white sand and Scusset Beach is no exception. The cape channel was “right ov’a they’ya”. There were two late-evening fishermen who were not giving up and a handful of people walking back from the beach as we walked out for the sunset. Headed back to Li’l Beast, we checked the rest rooms to find them open, heated, and very clean. There was a note on the men’s room stating that the restrooms will be closed for the season at 10:30 AM November 1 (tomorrow!). Again we squeaked by with a night camping as the campground closed. This was the sixth time we’ve done this on our trip!

The Beast, Scusset Beach State Park

Back at “home” I called Normandy Farms Campground. They are open. We can chose our site when we arrive. Yes there is a car rental close by, but we might consider driving to a nearby subway station and taking a train into Boston. There’s no problem with sites this week, we can stay as long as we like. They even have a concierge who can help us with our plans! If we had not stopped to talk with Bruce and Vivian, we might never have known about this place. This is our first full-on “FAIL” for AllStays. We’ll have to revamp our campground search to include listings from a 2015 book.

I checked the Patriots schedule hoping that they would not have a game scheduled tomorrow. They do not. The Pats took the Dolphins apart last Thursday and do not play the weekend. Good Stuff all around.

We’re snug as a bug in The Beast on Halloween evening watching Stephen King’s Red Rose on DirecTV.

Tomorrow we will head further east, up Cape Cod to White Cedar Swamp near Marconi Station. Terry said the forest was like the “forest of despair” in the Princess Bride. I knew immediately what she meant. Also Marconi Station was one of two stations setup to test Marconi’s first cross-Atlantic radio transmission. The other station was established in Maine. It’s about an hour’s drive out the cape to Marconi Station and another two hours back from there to Foxboro. The JETS play the Raiders tomorrow at 1 PM West coast time. We’ll be settled in at Normandy Farms by game time at 4 PM EST. We just have to remember to set our clocks back an hour tonight.

For more info: Marconi Station

I wish that Ed, Frank, Jim, and I could re-unite. Perhaps one day Frank, Ed, and I will. I miss Jim and think of him from time to time.

Ron

Another Day Older

Buckland, Shelburne Falls, Charlemont, Old Friends

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It seems that every time we stop to visit with friends, we let our blog go for a while. This past week has been no exception. We’ve been having such an enjoyable time visiting my old friend Ed O’Neil and getting to know his wife, Jean,, that we have not made time to keep our blog current. This afternoon we will be “doing” a mountain coaster and a zip line in the Berkshires. We’re taking time ahead of this excitement to catch up.

Country Aire Campground (10/25/15)

It poured last night. Our site at Country Aire Campground is in a depression. We actually woke up to check for flooding! That’s what watching the Weather Channel will do for you. There’s lots of flooding in Texas and it’s headed to the south. But here in Massachusetts there is none.

It was 44 degrees in the morning, comfortable for this time of year. Our campsite sits in a large meadow with thirty one other RV sites and a scattering of tent sites. One other RV was parked well away from us. There were two tent campers off in the trees by a creek. Facing the south, we had early morning sun that warmed things up quite nicely. There’s a view of a hill and ridge to our south dotted with orange foliage between the pine trees. This is a peaceful location.

We got moving slowly with a variety of options for things to do today. #1 on the list, stopping at 1:00 pm for the JETS PATS football match. We chose to explore the town of Charlemont to our west. There’s a very helpful tourist map, Greater Shelburne Falls and Mohawk Trail Region, that I highly recommend. We found ours at the campsite. It’s a reduced map of the area with points of interest well marked on the map.

We drove “down the hill” or what I thought was a hill. It’s pretty flat getting from the camp to SR 2. We drove into town looking for a market to buy bread to make sandwiches for lunch. Four of Five shops along SR 2 were closed. We found a hardware store; the Coffee Bean; Berkshire Pizzeria; and Cold River Package, Market, and Cafe open. Not needing hardware, coffee, or pizza, we stopped at Cold River. In Massachusetts people buy their booze in liquor stores. These stores have a huge inventory of alcohol. Supermarkets in California have a standardized selection with very little unusual or locally produced products. Not so stores in Massachusetts. It was fun just looking around. We replenished our chocolate and vodka supply. Unfortunately we did not find a liquor to replace our near gone sour cherry. This was a package store in a remote small community and the selection was mind boggling. We’ll find our sour cherry in the next large town for sure.

Charlemont and Poolside

The vodka & chocolate were taken to the Beast while Ellen checked out the restaurant. Typical of The Beast, a couple drove up and said, “That is the perfect size for us! We’re thinking about taking a trip to Arizona next year and this would be perfect for us.” We were off talking about RVs, travel, and Charlemont. Ellen joined us moments later. The couple lives in a classic New England home sitting right beside a pool “just up the road”. The house has been in the wife’s family for generations. She inherited the home a year or two ago. They described how to get there and that we would go through a renovated covered bridge on the way. Ellen asked if it was OK we took photos of their house. “Of course, people stop for photos there all the time. I even have cards printed up about the house. we call it “Poolside” They were headed to the restaurant for lunch. It was clear they wanted us to join them, but we have a football game to watch.

We drove off in search of Poolside, which was quite easy to find. There was a place; to turn around and park on the fork to the right. The house sites in the center of a fork in the road right on a pond with a low head dam and waterfall. It is quite a setting. “I could live here!” Ellen responded with, “It would make a nice spring or fall home, but not in the winter”. That, my friends, is progress!

We took a number of photos of the pond,, their house, and the covered bridge.

There was an abandoned school bus by the side of the road that we wanted to document, but missed it on the way down the hill. How do you miss a school bus?

Back at Country Aire, we plugged in and enjoyed a close football game that the Pats won. Much to Ellen’s chagrin.

Shelbourne Falls

In the afternoon we explored Shelburne Falls. Turning off rt 2, there is a caution sign with 10′ 6″ in bold lettering and nothing else. The Beast stands 11′ 3″. We headed toward the town of Shelburne Falls, knowing that a U-Turn could be coming up. Shelburne Falls sits on side of the Deerfield River and Buckland sits on the other, though I think both are referred to as Shelburne Falls. That 10′ 6″ briidge is the one that connects the two. I took a left just before I would have been committed to going over the bridge, and found parking around back behind Main Street.

A ceramic shop was the first business we found that was open. They were closing, but the shop gal let us browse. We asked what she would recommend for dinner. There were two places she mentioned, one had moved and the other was just across he bridge, West End Pub. We had seen a sign for “the Bridge of Flowers” as we parked. Ellen asked what is the flower bridge. She said, “You haven’t seen the Bridge of Flowers? You have to go.” We left the shop and walked the street. Most of the other shops were closed on this side of the Deerfield River. We walked to the Bridge and crossed the river to the Buckland side.

Here too, most of the shops were closed. We walked to the dam. The dam is one of a number of active hydroelectric plants on the Deerfield River that are now controlled by an authority in Vermont.

The West End Pub, Shelbourne Falls

The West End Pub sits at the end of the Bridge of Flowers with an enclosed patio overlooking the river and the bridge. We had the best meal of our trip thus far at the West End Pub. The menu listed fried scallops. Ellen asked if they could be grilled and yes, Ellen had grilled scallops. I had the burger au Poivre done medium rare, both were superb.

Later in the evening we walked back over the Bridge of Flowers and drove “home” to Country Aire Campground.

The next day, Monday 10/26, we drove on to meet Ed O’Neil and his wife of 37 years, Jean. We planned to meet them for lunch at the Smithsonian Chowder House in Hatfield at noon, but we underestimated the drive time to Hatfield from Charlemonte. We called ahead to say we would be late by thirty minutes. Ed said they were at the chowder house already.

Smithsonian Chowder House, An Old Friend, and Hatfield Ma

We passed an exit for Hatfield as we headed south. Ed told us to take exit 21, which we did. We backtracked to the chowder house. It was empty. We thought maybe there was another Smithsonian Chowder House. The chowder monger said there was another one further north. We walked outside noticing that there was a furniture shop across the street just as Ed had mentioned. We decided to wait, thinking this must be the right place. People came, parked, and went for the next ten of fifteen minutes: no Ed. At this point I was wondering if I would recognize Ed after 46 years.

Sometime later a car pulled up and there was Ed. It was unmistakably Ed, After all these years it’s as if I had never left. It’s great re-kindling our friendship and getting to know Jean. Within minutes the four of us were all chatting about life.

Old Friends

We planned to visit with Ed and Jean for three days. We have many places to explore in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut; time is valuable and may become critical as we drive home. Today is Friday, 10/30/2015. We thought we would head east to Boston on Wednesday. Tuesday evening Ellen asked Ed if there was anything he wanted, thinking she could get him a drink or some water. He said, “Yes, another 24 hours.” We stayed through Wednesday AND Thursday when Jean suggested we take a zip line on Friday afternoon. The weather on Thursday hit the low 70’s in Hatfield. Today should be similar if a bit cooler. Temperatures will be cooler In the Berkshires. We’ll just bundle up.

It feels to me like I’ve been living just around the corner from Ed these past 46 years. We picked up where we had left off, going over events in our lives as teenagers; some that we shared or knew about already and others that were a surprise. It can be such a joy re-discovering old friends. Ed and Jean have done quite well for themselves. They are building a custom home in the state. The home is almost finished on the outside while the interior is framed out with the electrical and plumbing in place. The finish work has not begun. It will be a marvelous home. It is very thoughtfully designed with state of the art energy saving features. The steel roof is a discontinued color that looks great. Jean likes the color and does not look forward to covering the southern slope with 27 solar panels.

We will be on our way tomorrow, though we would enjoy staying another week. This is so true of all the friends and family we’ve met on our trip. For me though, playing guitar, talking with Ed, or just sitting around brings back life in Arlington with Ed, Jim, and Frank before we went off to college in “the good old days”. Driving off to our next adventure will leave me with a poignant sense of loss. We will make it a point to return to Ed and Jean in the summer or next fall on our way out to or back from Europe.

Eric Carle Museum of Children’s Book Art

Christmas Tree Farm, Walking Maxie

Chesterfield Gorge

Around Florence, North Hampton

New Boston NH to the Mohawk Trail Mass

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Milton, New Hampshire

We stayed at Friendly Beaver Campground near New Boston. The temperature dropped quickly after dark. I pulled the water hose inside and ran the tank heaters overnight. The temperature had dropped to 27 degrees around 8 am. The sky was overcast and threatening rain. There are any number of routes we could take to get from New Boston to Charlemont Massachusetts on the Mohawk Trail. Ellen and our GPS agreed that we should go south through Milford NH.

Downtown Milford New Hampshire

Milford is a much larger town than we had expected after seeing New Boston and other “towns”. Yes, it was cold and cloudy, but we had to walk the town and perhaps have lunch at a cafe.

Main bridge over the Souhegan River

The Souhegan River looking North

The Souhegan Park, Milford NH

Most small towns in New England were founded on rivers or lakes. Milford is no different. It sides astride the Souhegan River. If you walk across the bridge heading out of town, there is a wonderful park to your left. We walked the park, then went back into town.

1794! History Abounds in New England

Eagle Hall, Milford New Hampshire

Local news reported that the foliage in the Merrimack Valley was at peak now. The foliage turned a week or two later than typical this year. The trees turn color when the temperature drops near or below freezing. Record high summer like temperatures three weeks ago delayed fall. We are now in the grip of a cold front pushing in from Canada.

We held off choosing where to have lunch until we had walked the town oval. We happened by “the best pizza in New England” and had to stop in. It was empty but for a couple waiting for their order. Anthony walked out from the back and asked, “Can I help you?”. we talked about their pizza, the shop, and the town a bit. Ellen noticed an “Eat in or take and bake” sign and asked about taking a pizza to go. We settled on a fresh tomato pizza with added red peppers and pepperoni. Anthony said he would hold off making the pizza for 45 minutes and that we could pick the pizza up later. No need to pay for it now! I won’t be here then, my sister will make your pizza. Great! Off we went in search for lunch. The pizza would go in our ‘fridge for dinner later.

The Best Pizza in New England!?!

We looked for a prominently advertised Union Street Grill, but couldn’t find it. Ellen stopped two women and asked about the restaurant. One pointed out the location, almost out of town, the last building on the left. Then she said, ” we’re going to the diner for lunch and they have good.” We parted ways and found the Union Street Grill and noticed only one couple at a table. We decided to skip this one and headed off to the diner.

Lunch at the Red Arrow Diner, Milford

We ate at the diner, though the tavern below the diner and under the bridge would have been a better choice. They’re co-owned and share the same menu. The diner is a typical 40’s place where the tavern has a warmer vibe. Oh, and the tavern has a full bar.

The Tavern below the Diner

Back at Foodies, Abigail made the pizza for us while we talked with the owner. He had owned two pizza places, but bad management at his other store forced him to close it. He has the one shop. The pizza arrived, looking great heaped high with cheese. Then Abigail realized she had forgotten the pepperoni! She took the pizza back and returned with the pizza piled higher with cheese! It was huge. Our conversation with the owner wound down and I made to pay for the pizza. He said, “I thought you had paid already!”. “No.” He then gave us two free sodas: one Lime Rickey and one Root Beer.

Heading out of town, we passed a still pond and we took these photos. There’s a small commemorative park alongside the pond.

At a Small Park aside a Pond South of Milford

Driving along there were cones on the road and signs stating “Beware Of Runners”. Further on, Ellen saw a covered bridge to our right. A great place to U-turn appeared on my left and we headed back to find Potanipo Lake in Brookline New Hampshire. There’s plenty of parking near a boat ramp on the lake. The covered bridge is over a stream that runs into the lake. There were a number of people milling about that appeared to had just finished running a race. There was a cone at the end of a smaller bridge that served as the turn-around point for runners. As we walked to the bridge a number of runners turned around the cone and ran off. Ron asked a woman, “How long is the race?” She said, “one hundred miles, or whatever you want to do!”. “how far are you going?” She answered, “A measly forty five miles.”

It was a chilly day for a race….

Potanipo Lake, Brookline New Hampshire

Pedestrian Bridge, Brookline New Hampshire

Foliage at the Lake

Some time later we drove into Massachusetts. SR 31 through New Hampshire is a wonderful road. It’s smooth with minimal bumps or repaired potholes. Not so for the first dozen miles or so in Massachusetts. The road was horrible with an extremely high crown and bumps, shimmies, and shakes. On par with roads in Indiana.

Some miles later the road smoothed out, but the high crown remained for much longer. We skirted Fitchburg taking SR 2 west toward Miller’s Falls, Shelbourne Falls, and the Mohawk Trail.

Into Massachusetts, Townsend 1732!

As usual, most of the campgrounds along our route were closed. Even those listed as closing in late October had closed. There was one campground that listed November 1 as their last day open. Ellen called and yes they are open and yes they have sites for a 24 foot RV. We continued on SR 2 to Charlemont Mass. and the Country Aire Campground. Art and Lisa greeted us and checked us into a site with clear view to the south, cable, water, and electricity for $25. We opted to stay two nights. There are a number of small towns along the Deerfield River to explore. We’re not due to meet Ed O’Neil until Monday and we’re less than an hour away.

Setup went quickly. We pre-heated the convection oven to 375, placed the pizza directly on the glass carousel, and popped it into the oven. Instructions suggest cooking for 12-15 minutes until the cheese freckles. It took longer than 15 minutes, but finally sometime after the cheese melted it began to freckle. It was tricky getting the pizza in the oven and again getting it out, but all went perfectly. The pizza was perfectly done. The crust was crisp and crunchy, the toppings cooked through and very hot. It was a great pizza. We’ll cook many more in the convection oven.

That night it rained cats and dogs. The temperature hovered around 44 degrees. We were snug in The Beast. We ushered out another Wonderful Day, looking forward to our next day’s adventure.

Meredith to New Boston NH

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Meredith Woods Campground

Our Campsite #219

We held off leaving Meredith Woods Campground in the hopes that the part for The Beast would arrive. James ordered shipped next day. In the wilds ofo New Hampshire, next day can become “next few days”. We couldn’t wait past 2 pm and headed off. With the Keene Pumpkin Festival moved to Laconia, Meredith Woods Campground was sold out for the weekend!

Indoor Heated Pool and Jacuzzi

Our goal is to arrive Ed O’Neil’s place on Monday. The distance is short. we thought we’d take some back roads through New Boston and on to the Mohawk Trail before dropping gown to Amherst.

New Boston, NH

From Meredith Woods we took SR 104 west to I-93 south. Both roads are smooth and a great ride. 104 is a two lane road with little traffic. From I-93 we took SR 13, SR 77, SR 114, and SR 77. These roads are two lane with surprisingly little traffic. A bonus, they’re in very good condition and go through beautiful scenery; over rivers and along creeks and streams, through very small towns.

New Boston is a very small town. We stopped in the town center looking for a market or grocery store. I asked a woman who had left the lodge where I might find a market in town. She said, “We don’t have a market in town.” The nearest grocery store is in Milford about 20 minutes away.”

Friendly Beaver Campground, NH

We called Robert at Friendly Beaver Campground, our stop for the evening, to make a reservation. Ellen asked if there was a market nearby and Robert said he had some supplies at the store: eggs, bread, milk, some meat. OK we’re good for the night we celebrated and headed off to find Friendly Beaver. Again the GPS miss-located the campground and we made a few U-turns before finding it. It is about a quarter of a mile further up Old Coach road than the GPS thinks it is.

While checking in, I asked if they could recommend a local restaurant. I had not seen a single eatery driving in! “Yes, you’ll find Molly’s Tavern if you drive back down Old Coach Road and go south. That’s a left. You can’t miss it.” We had come in from the north. The food the store stocked was not super fresh. We opted to drive to Molly’s Tavern. That was a great decision.

Molly’s Tavern, New Boston NH

Molly’s Tavern sits on SR 13 south of New Boston and you cannot miss it. There are two buildings, the restaurant and the tavern. Walking from The Beast, the scent of burning wood filledl the air. We stopped a waitress as she was entering the tavern and asked what the difference was between the two. They offer and identical menu, but the tavern has a bar. if you order drinks in the restaurant they’re brought from bar. Then she said, “Oh and the Tavern has a fireplace. The restaurant doesn’t.” It was cold and the thought of sitting by a fireplace won out.

We ordered the specials: Ellen, the stuffed jumbo prawns; Ron, the filet with asparagus. The food was good, but sitting by the fireplace was wonderful. Over the course of our meal, the Tavern filled. This was clearly the place for the locals to go for a fun time out on a Friday evening.

We drove back up the hill and settled in for the evening. Site #206 has a clear view of the south. we had no trouble with sat. reception. Bill Maher is on vacation; Real time was a re-broadcast of Bernie Sander’s interview et. al.

The next morning we saw just how many others were camping late in the fall in New Hampshire. The campground was not full, but it was far from empty. The 200’s section was about half full. The beauty of camping in the off season in New England is availability. You never have to worry about getting a reservation at a campground. It’s the number of campgrounds that have closed after Columbus day that is the problem. Still, we have been able to find an open campground almost everywhere we went. The one exception was south of Portland Maine where we resorted to an Elks Lodge and Boondocking and even that was not a hardship.

Along the way south from New Boston, NH

New Boston was a trip. It is a very isolated sleepy little town, but it is beautiful. We were happy to push on into Massachusetts the following day.

south of New Boston

10/22/15: Meredith New Hampshire and Meredith Woods Campground

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Walking Meredith, New Hampshire

Meredith Woods Campground

“Full Everything” is my best summary of this campground. It is modestly priced; we have paid much more for less. Site #219 may be the only site with a view to the south for Satellite reception. We love the tree lined campsites, huge rock fire pits, and indoor amenities the campsite has to offer. We have not used the pool table or the pool or Jacuzzi, maybe we’ll do that tonight.

James called last night to say he would be at camp between 2 and 3 and could look our hot water pressure problem then He’d call when he was 30 minutes out to give us time to get back to the campsite. Our plan for this morning was to sleep in, have a slow relaxed breakfast, then decamp and explore Meredith. We’d be back at the campsite around 1 pm, have lunch, and wait for James.

Meredith, New Hampshire

Meredith sits on the north west side of Lake Winnipesaukee.

We’ve explored Meredith, had lunch, James called, and we’re waiting for him to show up. Meredith felt much more lively than Laconia. It is still a small town that rolls up the sidewalks off-season, but it has a welcoming “at home” vibe. It was spitting this morning; overcast and threatening to rain. By the time we reached Meredith the weather was threatening to be sunny while still overcast.

And A Winery?

The sun did pop out a few times while we walked the town. It was tempting to stop in the open restaurants and ask about steamers, but we held off. We did not have the time to squander, even on steamed clams. Around 1 pm we headed back to Meredian Woods.

James and Hot Water

Jim stopped by moments ago and checked out our system. He said that our electronic pressure relief valve AKA crossover valve was malfunctioning. It has nothing to do with a valve on the water compartment inlet valve! We’re good in winter conditions. Jim and I switched water and flow valves to diagnose the problem. Jim called three outfits to have a pressure relief valve delivered overnight. Two could have it in weeks, a third is shipping it for overnight delivery. There’s no guarantee that the part will arrive tomorrow. If it does come in Jim can make the repair. If not he said he’d call and just have the part shipped back. He did not charge us for his time. He said he was here anyway. The part is $108.

We are staying a second night here in Meredith New Hampshire. The campground is beautiful. we just played a round of 8-ball. Ellen sunk the 8-ball and won. We’ll hit the Jacuzzi and pool later this evening after dinner in Meredith. Steamers anyone?

Photos by Ellen.

Ron

10/21/15 Prime Motors, Portland; Lake Winnipesaukee; Meredith Maine

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Prime Mercedes, Portland Maine

Unlike most mornings, we awoke late today. I had no time to complete yesterday’s blog entry. With no morning coffee, off we went to Prime Mercedes. Dueling GPS units guided us and we arrived at Prime Mercedes a few minutes ahead of time. Driving toward the service entrance, Vassili motioned us to stop, not frantically but with an air of certainty, a “You Will Stop” kind of thing. I had planned to stop, had we driven through we would have one of a very few convertible Winnebagos

Mohammed, our service rep., expected us. We joked about cross country travel, then focused on our Sprinter RV. It would take about two hours for service if they didn’t find anything amiss. Prime would fill all the fluids, change the oil and oil filter, and perform a software update to address an annoying gong that sometimes triggers at start-up for no reason. He said it’s a known problem with a software fix. Prime also sells Sprinter RVs, specializing in the Airstream. There were two RVs parked outside and we had to check ’em out. The larger Airstream was locked, but the Road Trek was open. It was well setup, but short, and even with windows on all sides it was dark inside with a full wood interior. It was priced at $87K.

Lois’ Natural Market, Scarborough NH

Heading back into the waiting lounge, I opened the door for a well dressed woman who overheard Ellen wonder where we’d find a good restaurant for breakfast or lunch. She turned and said, “Lois’ Natural Marketplace is a great place to eat. They’re “all natural”, but pricey.” We thanked her, and headed across the street to Lois’ place.

Lois’ looks like a market. The front doors open onto rows of produce and products as you would see in any typical small up-scale market. I walked past thinking the cafe would be around back in another building. Ellen disappeared into the shop. Recognizing my mistake, I walked past the rows of exotic beers, organic produce, and herbal remedies to find Ellen standing at a deli counter. Lois’ makes everything they sell at the deli pretty much from scratch. Arrayed under glass were heaping bowls of pasta salad with spinach and goat cheese, diced beets with spices, home-made soups, baked goods like the coconut-strawberry or blueberry scones (We both said “Michele” our friend living on Whidbey Island, Washington state; she has a small business baking, yummy scones,cookies, etc… “Hi Michele and Jerry” 🙂 ). Hand written in chalk above the counter was their menu, a list of yummy sounding sandwiches. We each had our morning espresso drink and sandwiches. Ellen’s was an egg salad and mine, a ham and brie. These were very delicious. Usually the ham in a ham and cheese predominates. Not so with this one. There were thick slices of brie which dominated the ham, but in a wonderfully different way. There was a trace of something sweet; small slices of something like date or marinated onion.

Before our sandwiches were made, The owner and Ellen chatted about travel. I noticed Grgich Hills Chardonnay on their wine shelf and had to look over their wines. Sitting atop a display case front and center were three bottles of Historic Series Madeira: Baltimore Rainwater, Boston Bual, and Thomas Jefferson. I asked Lois about the wines and she hailed their wine buyer. The Historic Series Madeira is made in the traditional way in estufas. What makes the Jefferson special is the blend. This wine includes some 80 year old madiera. Ok, I was hooked. I thought I’d get a bottle and one or two of the unusual beers they carry.

More reading about Historic Series Madeira

Meanwhile Ellen was talking music with Lois. Her husband plays in a rock-a-billy threesome who travel around. I mentioned The Stray Cats as what I think of as rock-a-billy. Lois said,, “yes, but heading more toward blue-grass. Oh well…

Our sandwiches arrived and were gobbled up with joy. We cruised the isles one last time, then crossed back over Rt 1 to Prime. The Beast was no longer in sight. This time the lounge was nearly empty, the young well dress woman who told us about Lois’ was at the cashier’s counter, and there was a Smart Car sitting at the far end of the lounge, in a hall leading into the show room. Time for a test drive!

Smart Cars and Airstreams

A well dressed salesman was having an animated conversation with a customer. Not wanting to interrupt I walked past, but the salesman stopped me to ask, “Can I help You?”. “Yes, I would like to test drive a Smart Car, but I don’t want to interrupt your conversation.: To which Art Starr, the salesman, said, “Oh that’s ok, I sold Andy an Airstream in August. We’re just talking. Let me get someone to give you a test drive. Are you interested in buying today? ” I said no not today, but I would like to see if I like the ride and might buy one in the future.” “Ok”.

Moments later Art introduced Jerry Lynde and keys in hand off we went to find a turbo-charged 2016 Smart Car with a manual transmission, Knowing it’s a two seat model, Ellen chose not to take part. All of the small cars I’ve driven feel like a sardine can with wheels; they do not feel like cars. The Smart Car is different. It does drive and handle surprisingly well. It is nimble. Fast is not a word to couple with “Smart Car”. Even with a turbo it cranks out an anemic 100 hp. That’s fine with me. As a four down tow vehicle, the Smart Car seems perfect. I liked it! Unfortunately it was the 2016/manual transmission/turbo model which is their top of the line and makes buying an inexpensive 2010 model less likely.

The Beast was parked right in front when we walked back. Best of all it had been WASHED! Gone was the dried on salt from our drive on the Kancamagus Highway. Jerry and I were talking in the hallway when Art walked up to ask how I liked it, followed by Ellen who asked if she could see inside the Airstream out front. Art said, “sure I’ll get the keys” Jerry and I parted and Andy walked up to discuss RVing, living, tow vehicles, and share experiences. Then Art came back with the keys and said, “Ok, let’s do this”. With Ellen in tow, he headed outside as I said, “Take my wife, Please!”. We all had a chuckle. I really did not want to see inside the Airstream. I was absolutely sure it was gorgeously appointed and priced accordingly. Andy and I continued our conversation and eventually Ellen and Art came back. Kidding I said, “I can see we’ll return to CA with a new RV. We can just swap our stuff over and continue on.” We joked about it for a while, but it was clear to all that we were not interested in buying, just in comparing our Winnie with the Airstream. Ellen was impressed with the leather and marine quality wood interior. It was beautiful. Art pulled out a brochure to show us another model’s layout. We all said our goodbyes.

AllStays and our Winnie Saleswoman

As we were starting off, Andy came out to ask what we use to research campsites. we told him about our experience with AllStays. That I loaded six campground applications on my iPhone before we left and that after a week AllStays was the clear winner. We rarely used any of the others. Then Ellen asked if Andy would like to see inside The Beast. She explained how Li’l Beast got his name. Ellen, in Winnebago sales gal mode, was in her element. Art climbed in and liked the sense of space we have in The Beast. His, being a Mercedes Airstream, has a much posher interior. Ours has much more living space. There are trade-offs, pluses and minuses, and points of no compromise in everything, RVs are no different. The $160,000 price tag for the Airstream is a show-stopper for me (for now,, Ellen liked it… )

Prime Mercedes, Scarborough New Hampshire (again)

Time flew, our two hour appointment had come and gone without our being aware of time passing. As service experiences go, this was one for the record books: Great people and a job well done.

Steamer Shack Winnipesaukee, CLOSED

Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire

We started heading south, me thinking we’d head to Hampton Beach, when Ellen blurted, “But we haven’t seen a moose!” We have not. And she added, “you wanted to see Winnipesaukee.” True. We adjusted our plans and headed to Laconia, New Hampshire. On the way we stopped to locate a campground close to Gunstock Mountain.

We drove all the way to the Gunstock Ski area without finding the campground. The views on the way up the mountain were well worth the drive. The Gunstock Mountain Zip Line is open on the weekends, another score! Awe Shucks, we’ll have to dally around Lake Winnipesaukee for a few days?

Our first sight of Lake Winnipesaukee was from a bridge over the very southern part of the lake. There was a turnout a half mile further up and we stopped to soak in the beauty. The sky was overcast; with the sun poking through time to time. Ellen headed off along the lake as I took some long shots across the lake.

A bit later I saw her standing on a pier with two other couples lost in conversation. After taking a short walk further up the lake, I went back to meet Pat and Bob and Pauline and Bob, P2B2. Pat and Bob moved to the bay area from Massachusetts 26 years ago and had moved back to New Hampshire a few months ago. We chatted about the East Coast and West Coast and I joked that we could wind up moving here. The trouble is, this is not really a joke for me. I really like the lakes, forests, rolling hills, and (short) mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire. I could learn to hibernate in the winter. (Ellen Here; “don’t think that is going to happen, but I love visiting during autumn 🙂 )

Lake Winnipesaukee is breathtaking. It is huge with a vast number of inlets and bays and a favorite place for people from large cities in Massachusetts to vacation and own vacation homes.

Laconia, the Landmark Inn, O’s, and Steamers

We drove on to Laconia, which was a bit of a disappointment for us. It could be that we didn’t find “happening Laconia”. It felt like a depressed town with very little life. We had trouble finding parking. Our first choice was excellent, but as we walked toward town we passed a “No Parking Cars will be Towed at Owner’s Expense” sign. My first thought was, “Sure, tow a 6 Ton RV!” My second was more rational, geez we could be towed and we’re parking behind an urgent care facility. We moved The Beast.

We found parking in the lower lot of the Landmark Inn. We are both hungry for a large bucket of steamed clams. The Lobster Shack in Portland did not have them. We passed numerous shops and shacks with signs screaming “Steamers” near another sign saying “CLOSED”. Ok, the concierge at the Landmark should know where we can find some steamers, right? We asked and were told that O’s just down the road five miles was a superb local restaurant that serves steamed clams. We also asked about parking in the lower lot and being towed. The front desk does the towing, we’ll be OK parked there.

We Found “The Grail”

Great, we walked Laconia with waning enthusiasm then were off in search of O’s. There were signs for Laconia’s pumpkin festival this weekend. We’re going to stay a few days on Winnipesaukee, we might check out Laconia’s Pumpkin Festival. It might just redeem Laconia.

The Belknap Mill,Laconia New Hampshire

We drove the five miles and found a 99 restaurant. This was definitely NOT the place for steamers and was one step above fast food. (Sorry 99) By now we were not sure of the restaurant’s name; Ellen thought they said O’s. I called the Landmark and was reminded that the restaurant is “O’s”. I then found a listing for O’s, called them, and learned that they do not serve steamed clams. This was a bust.

The Keen Pumpkin Festival Moved

An update on Laconia and the pumpkin festival. The Festival had been held in Keen NH for years, but it was moved this year to Laconia. Another competing festival will be held Swanzey. How Strange. Here’s some background on the Pumpkin Festival.

Meredith Woods, Year Round Camping near Winnipesaukee

Somehow it fell to me to find a campground. I found one close-by and called. A live person answered! I said, “Hi. Great a live person.” She said, “Yes” and laughed merrily. I then said, “That probably means you are open, am I right?” She said, “No” and chuckled. Then she said, “but there is a year round campground not far from us. Try Meredith Woods.” I rang off, found Meredith Woods on AllStays, Ellen called, and we had our campground for the evening. The GPS miss-locates the Meredith Woods Campground. We passed it, turned around and passed it again. I pulled off to turn around and a black jeep followed me off the road. Great, that’ll make turning around difficult, I thought. The jeep pulled up aside The Beast, a fellow got out and said, “You’re looking for Meredith Woods, aren’t you?” “Yes”, I said. He said, “It’s not located correctly on our GPS either. It is up the road the way you were headed, just right at the blinking yellow light”. With many thank you’s off we went. There was a huge sign for Meredith Woods facing us as we approached the blinking light. Coming from the other direction, the sign is hidden from view. We were “home” for the evening.

Logan welcomed us, we registered, and could back into site #219. We have full everything tonight. It’s worry free as compared to boondocking. Even better, Meredith Woods is open year round and has an indoor heated swimming pool and Jacuzzi, heated restrooms with showers, a rec. room with a pool table, old time jukebox, games, books, and a patio overlooking the pool. All indoors and all heated. The campground with its heavily wooded campsites is very appealing.

For dinner Ellen heated the pasta salad, diced beets, and scones we bought at Lois’ Natural Kitchen earlier today. I enjoyed a Shipyard IPA or two, saving the special beers from Lois’ for later in the week.

Ellen with our Cog Moose

Our Second Issue with The Beast

The Beast has developed a hot water pressure problem. It looks to be a valve just inside the water inlet that may have been damaged during the freeze we had in New Hampshire. I had hoped that the light in the basement water compartment would generate enough heat to avoid freezing. I’ll have to either swap out the diode lite for a 40 watt light, or wire in a separate light circuit. That’s the only issue we had with sub freezing temperatures over a twelve hour period. It’s the first time I used the gray and black tank heater. James, a repair guy, will drop by this afternoon to fix the problem if he can. He diagnosed it over the telephone. Apparently it is a common failure. James comes highly recommended by Logan @ Meredith Woods.

Stairs that fail to extend is our first problem. It appears that opening the side door and closing it before the motor has fully extended the stairs causes the problem. With the door closed, the stairs retract as you’d expect. Sometimes they stay retracted. Opening or closing the door makes no difference, the stairs won’t budge. A fellow at Camping World mentioned that this is a common failure for all RVs. He simply tapped the stair motor with a hammer a few times and the stairs came back to life. Since I’ve been using our trusty rubber mallet to coax the motor to life. I never have a problem with the stairs unless we open and close the doors rapidly.

Family, 11/05/2015

Normandy farms Family Camping Resort, Foxboro Ma.

Newport R.I.

Not the houses I remember, but what a location

Ocean Cliff Inn, Newport RI

The Pub

Keep On Truckin’ in the Pub

What’s with his hair?

In the Pub

Margherita Pizza

They Have Steamers!!

And Here They Are!

We Each Had a Bowl

The Ocean Cliff Inn

Newport and Points South, 11.06.2015

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Walden Pond, Concord Massachusetts

Walden Pond in Glorious Color

Fall Foliage in November

Mockup of Thoreau’s Pondside Home

Ranger Nick

A Peaceful Walk

Thoreau’s Homesite Memorialized

Menotomy Rocks Park

The Pond

Eagle Rock

My Neighborhood in Arlington Mass.

The Boston Skyline from Kensington Park

Neighborhoood Heritage Homes

Neighborhood Homes

Neighborhood Foliage

My Childhood Home

Harvard Square, Cambridge Ma.

The Pub

Newburyport Green Head IPA

Pork Loin, Perfection

Study Hall and Theater build like a Church, Harvard Square

World War Memorial Church, Harvard

Caramel Macchiato & Sweet Cream Latte

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Indian Summer

Boston Gardens

Charles Street, Boston

Boston Commons

Some photos taken in the Commons

The State House, Boston

King’s Chapel Cemetery

Faneuil Hall

The Old State House

Details on the Old State House

On a Boston walk:

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Scusset Beach Campground (11.01.2015)

Marconi Station and White Cedar Swamp

Provincetown Massachusetts

A Fox?

Sunset on the way to Foxboro

Normandy Farms Family Camping Resort (11.02.2015)

Issues with The Beast

Enterprise Car Rentals, Foxboro Ma.

Brad’s RV Service

Nespresso in Massachusetts

Tokyo Japanese Steak Restaurant

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Visiting Western Massachusetts

Ed Plays the Blues

The Guitarists

Maxie Expecting to go on a Trip

Past Peak and Still Wonderful

The Beast, Scusset Beach State Park

Another Day Older

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Country Aire Campground (10/25/15)

Charlemont and Poolside

Shelbourne Falls

The West End Pub, Shelbourne Falls

Smithsonian Chowder House, An Old Friend, and Hatfield Ma

Old Friends

Eric Carle Museum of Children’s Book Art

Christmas Tree Farm, Walking Maxie