TRIP REPORT - RV TRIP FROM SO. CAL TO NEW ENGLAND AND BACK
Dec 16th, 2007, 07:24 AM
#23
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ruwithme,
We own the RV, a 30' 5th wheel travel trailer.
Michael,
They are idiots because that have to be told what "1, L1 or L" means and that the engine will run faster in a lower gear. If they don't know that before they get in the car, they shouldn't be the ones driving.
We own the RV, a 30' 5th wheel travel trailer.
Michael,
They are idiots because that have to be told what "1, L1 or L" means and that the engine will run faster in a lower gear. If they don't know that before they get in the car, they shouldn't be the ones driving.
Dec 16th, 2007, 07:37 AM
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THIS IS WHAT ALICE FOUND FOR US
Ok, so I was wrong. While out and about looking for covered bridges and fall colors, we found both. It was completely by accident. If you have ever used a GPS for getting from point A to point B, you know you can program it several ways to get to where you are going. The fastest route or the shortest route. The shortest route is what I used on this day, which many times takes you on the back roads. We followed the GPS’s directions, I call her Alice, and we were instructed to travel on highways, secondary roads, dirt roads and cow trails. At one point the road became a 4 wheel drive route causing us to turn around. What the shortest route and Alice did do was find us some good color, with reds and yellows. I also discovered that all the photos you see of the fall colors here in New England, must be doctored. The photos are all so vivid, unlike what we are seeing with the naked eye. What we see is beautiful, but it’s not what the tourist bureaus advertise.
ATTENTION CHILDREN AND SIBLINGS (Others if you’re interested)
I’ve changed the rules in the Count the White Horses Game. I learned this game as a child while traveling on vacation. Its purpose was to keep us 5 kids occupied and perhaps being less trouble for our harried parents. For those of you who don’t know about this game, it goes like this.
You count the white horses you see on your side of the car. If you pass a cemetery and it’s on your side, you loose your white horses. At the end of the game the one with the most white horses win. Exciting, uh?
The new rule only applies in the northeastern part of the country. That’s because there are lots of dead people, thus cemeteries and hardly any horses, let alone white ones. So when in that part of the country we count cemeteries and loose them when we see a white horse.
Ok, so I was wrong. While out and about looking for covered bridges and fall colors, we found both. It was completely by accident. If you have ever used a GPS for getting from point A to point B, you know you can program it several ways to get to where you are going. The fastest route or the shortest route. The shortest route is what I used on this day, which many times takes you on the back roads. We followed the GPS’s directions, I call her Alice, and we were instructed to travel on highways, secondary roads, dirt roads and cow trails. At one point the road became a 4 wheel drive route causing us to turn around. What the shortest route and Alice did do was find us some good color, with reds and yellows. I also discovered that all the photos you see of the fall colors here in New England, must be doctored. The photos are all so vivid, unlike what we are seeing with the naked eye. What we see is beautiful, but it’s not what the tourist bureaus advertise.
ATTENTION CHILDREN AND SIBLINGS (Others if you’re interested)
I’ve changed the rules in the Count the White Horses Game. I learned this game as a child while traveling on vacation. Its purpose was to keep us 5 kids occupied and perhaps being less trouble for our harried parents. For those of you who don’t know about this game, it goes like this.
You count the white horses you see on your side of the car. If you pass a cemetery and it’s on your side, you loose your white horses. At the end of the game the one with the most white horses win. Exciting, uh?
The new rule only applies in the northeastern part of the country. That’s because there are lots of dead people, thus cemeteries and hardly any horses, let alone white ones. So when in that part of the country we count cemeteries and loose them when we see a white horse.
Dec 16th, 2007, 07:54 AM
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travelina,
The cost of gas (diesel in my case) is the biggest expense of most if not all RV trips. I get around 11 mpg, which is pretty good for most RV's. I don't have the figure for the total amount of fuel cost, but for the entire trip, we budget $100 a day for all our expenses.
Keep in mind that we often stay in state parks which are cheaper than most RV parks. We also cook most of our meals in the RV. Some days we are not driving or at least not pulling the trailer. All those things help to keep the costs down.
We the rising cost of fuel, we will most likley have to increase the daily budget for the next trip by around $25.
The cost of gas (diesel in my case) is the biggest expense of most if not all RV trips. I get around 11 mpg, which is pretty good for most RV's. I don't have the figure for the total amount of fuel cost, but for the entire trip, we budget $100 a day for all our expenses.
Keep in mind that we often stay in state parks which are cheaper than most RV parks. We also cook most of our meals in the RV. Some days we are not driving or at least not pulling the trailer. All those things help to keep the costs down.
We the rising cost of fuel, we will most likley have to increase the daily budget for the next trip by around $25.
Dec 16th, 2007, 07:57 AM
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As for photographs,
I've been trying to get my Kodak Gallery to work, but for some reason I haven't been able to open it to the public. I've sent Kodak an e-mail asking how it's done, so hopefully at some point I'll be able to share photos of the trip. Perhaps I'll have to use another photo sharing web site.
I've been trying to get my Kodak Gallery to work, but for some reason I haven't been able to open it to the public. I've sent Kodak an e-mail asking how it's done, so hopefully at some point I'll be able to share photos of the trip. Perhaps I'll have to use another photo sharing web site.
Dec 16th, 2007, 09:49 AM
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Dec 17th, 2007, 12:37 AM
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To post pictures from Kodakgallery, you share photos with yourself. You can make sure the box requiring people to sign in is not checked. You open the e-mail Kodakgallery sends you, and there is a printed link in very small print near the bottom of the e-mail. Copy this link and post it here.
Dec 17th, 2007, 05:53 AM
#33
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If people want to find covered bridges they can buy a DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteer for the New England state they are visiting. Almost every road and building are shown on the detailed maps including seasonal roads. You can also find waterfalls, some of which are only a short walk from a road and would otherwise be overlooked. Sorry you didn't come during a year of great color. It was good color this year but not the best. For photo advice people might visit Yankee magazines website's forum. There's an excellent amateur photographer who gives advice and shows locations. Even for locals it's sometimes hard to predict when and where you'll find great color. And sometimes the bluest skies are the day before a change for the worse in weather.
Dec 17th, 2007, 10:02 AM
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CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE MOOSE KIND
While heading east on US 2 in the northern part of New Hampshire, we were clipping along about 55 mph, only 5 mph over the limit, when all of a sudden a rather large bull moose came charging at full speed out of the forest just ahead of us and to the right. Something must have spooked him because he was really hauling ass. With his nostrils flaring, we could see his breath in the cool morning air. The size of our rig must have deterred him from crossing the highway and causing major damage to him and us, for at the last second he turned left as I swerved left. The dirt was flying as his hoofs dug in to the soft earth at the highways edge. As he passed to our right heading west, and his antlers just missing our side mirror, we made eye contact with each other. We could see the whites of his eyes and the look of terror in them. I’m sure he saw the same in ours.
After getting our breathing back to normal, we continued on, arriving in Bar Harbor by mid afternoon. Bar Harbor owes its existence to Acadia National Park, which basically surrounds the town, and the cruise ship industry. It is in a beautiful setting with the downtown business district encompassed in 5 blocks of restaurants and tourist shops, and Main Street ending at the wharf. Everyday two cruise ships arrive in the early morning and by 10 AM several thousand passengers have disembarked and jammed themselves into those 5 blocks. It is human gridlock, with blue haired ladies crowding into the shops buying t-shirts for the grandkids, while grandpa stands outside in the middle of the side walk blocking traffic.
The national park is on Mount Desert Island, with the 1500 foot Cadillac Mountain at its center. The park is really beautiful with forested seaside cliffs and some fall colors. The area was once, and still is, the summer home to the rich and famous. John D. Rockefeller had a home here and between 1913 and 1940, built forty-five miles of carriage roads so his horse carriage did not have to compete with automobile. Today the roads in the park are open to hiking, biking and horse drawn carriages. There is a modern road to the top of Cadillac Mountain for some great views. One is told that sunrise at the summit is a must. For those of you who follow such things, it was at sunrise on Cadillac Mountain where Jenna Bush accepted a proposal of marriage. So one morning we got up at 5 AM and drove to the top so watch the sunrise. We had a beautiful red sky and with the cruise ships arriving below which made the early hour worth it. I was going to ask Cathie to marry me, but I was afraid her answer wouldn’t be the same as Jenna’s, so I didn’t press my luck.
We had rain a couple of nights and it started getting colder, with temperatures in the 50’s during the day. The weather up to this point, except for some occasional rain showers, had been unseasonably warm for this part of the country. So was is here at Bar Harbor, that we make another right turn and start heading south. While heading towards Portland, Maine, we saw some of the best fall colors of the entire trip, along I-95 of all places.
http://www.nps.gov/acad/
http://www.gomoose.com/index.php
Photos can be found here
http://flickr.com/photos/dgassa/show/
While heading east on US 2 in the northern part of New Hampshire, we were clipping along about 55 mph, only 5 mph over the limit, when all of a sudden a rather large bull moose came charging at full speed out of the forest just ahead of us and to the right. Something must have spooked him because he was really hauling ass. With his nostrils flaring, we could see his breath in the cool morning air. The size of our rig must have deterred him from crossing the highway and causing major damage to him and us, for at the last second he turned left as I swerved left. The dirt was flying as his hoofs dug in to the soft earth at the highways edge. As he passed to our right heading west, and his antlers just missing our side mirror, we made eye contact with each other. We could see the whites of his eyes and the look of terror in them. I’m sure he saw the same in ours.
After getting our breathing back to normal, we continued on, arriving in Bar Harbor by mid afternoon. Bar Harbor owes its existence to Acadia National Park, which basically surrounds the town, and the cruise ship industry. It is in a beautiful setting with the downtown business district encompassed in 5 blocks of restaurants and tourist shops, and Main Street ending at the wharf. Everyday two cruise ships arrive in the early morning and by 10 AM several thousand passengers have disembarked and jammed themselves into those 5 blocks. It is human gridlock, with blue haired ladies crowding into the shops buying t-shirts for the grandkids, while grandpa stands outside in the middle of the side walk blocking traffic.
The national park is on Mount Desert Island, with the 1500 foot Cadillac Mountain at its center. The park is really beautiful with forested seaside cliffs and some fall colors. The area was once, and still is, the summer home to the rich and famous. John D. Rockefeller had a home here and between 1913 and 1940, built forty-five miles of carriage roads so his horse carriage did not have to compete with automobile. Today the roads in the park are open to hiking, biking and horse drawn carriages. There is a modern road to the top of Cadillac Mountain for some great views. One is told that sunrise at the summit is a must. For those of you who follow such things, it was at sunrise on Cadillac Mountain where Jenna Bush accepted a proposal of marriage. So one morning we got up at 5 AM and drove to the top so watch the sunrise. We had a beautiful red sky and with the cruise ships arriving below which made the early hour worth it. I was going to ask Cathie to marry me, but I was afraid her answer wouldn’t be the same as Jenna’s, so I didn’t press my luck.
We had rain a couple of nights and it started getting colder, with temperatures in the 50’s during the day. The weather up to this point, except for some occasional rain showers, had been unseasonably warm for this part of the country. So was is here at Bar Harbor, that we make another right turn and start heading south. While heading towards Portland, Maine, we saw some of the best fall colors of the entire trip, along I-95 of all places.
http://www.nps.gov/acad/
http://www.gomoose.com/index.php
Photos can be found here
http://flickr.com/photos/dgassa/show/
Dec 18th, 2007, 11:16 AM
#36
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HHEADING SOUTH
Had some rain in Portland and the weather is getting a little cooler. Still not too bad. On our second day in Portland while eating breakfast, I broke my tooth while eating toast. I started calling around and after about eight tries finally found a dentist that could see me. Got to his office and they called me right in. The dentist, John Paul was very young but seemed to know what he was doing. He repaired the tooth with a ceramic filling and was done in about an hour. When I got back to the trailer, Cathie was flossing her teeth and a crown came off. So, since I already had an in with John Paul I called him up and luckily got an appointment for the afternoon. It’s a wonder that they didn’t think Cathie and I weren’t slugging it out. Anyway it was pretty much a wasted day, except for John Paul who has my credit card number.
From Portland we continued south to the Boston area. We stayed in a state park south of the city. We stayed out of Boston while the Red Socks were playing, but on Sunday we drove in and toured the USS Constitution, the one thing we missed when we were here in the early 90’s. One of the things I didn’t know about the Constitution, is that it is still an active duty US Navy ship and is staffed by active duty sailors. They dress in period uniforms and give the tours and I am sure are required to polish all the brass on board.
Afterwards we walked across the Charles River into the North End, Boston’s Italian section. We found a great restaurant for lunch (dinner), with the portions so big, the leftovers we took back to the trailer fed both of us the next night. After lunch and at the recommendation of a fellow diner, we stopped at Mike’s Pastry Shop for some great cannolis.
From Boston we headed south to southeastern Connecticut, where we spent a couple of days. We checked out lots of antique shops and purchased a granite mill stone for the front yard. We also spent a better part of a day at Mystic Seaport Village. Next stop, Lancaster, PA.
http://www.ussconstitution.navy.mil/
http://www.mikespastry.com/cannoli.html
Had some rain in Portland and the weather is getting a little cooler. Still not too bad. On our second day in Portland while eating breakfast, I broke my tooth while eating toast. I started calling around and after about eight tries finally found a dentist that could see me. Got to his office and they called me right in. The dentist, John Paul was very young but seemed to know what he was doing. He repaired the tooth with a ceramic filling and was done in about an hour. When I got back to the trailer, Cathie was flossing her teeth and a crown came off. So, since I already had an in with John Paul I called him up and luckily got an appointment for the afternoon. It’s a wonder that they didn’t think Cathie and I weren’t slugging it out. Anyway it was pretty much a wasted day, except for John Paul who has my credit card number.
From Portland we continued south to the Boston area. We stayed in a state park south of the city. We stayed out of Boston while the Red Socks were playing, but on Sunday we drove in and toured the USS Constitution, the one thing we missed when we were here in the early 90’s. One of the things I didn’t know about the Constitution, is that it is still an active duty US Navy ship and is staffed by active duty sailors. They dress in period uniforms and give the tours and I am sure are required to polish all the brass on board.
Afterwards we walked across the Charles River into the North End, Boston’s Italian section. We found a great restaurant for lunch (dinner), with the portions so big, the leftovers we took back to the trailer fed both of us the next night. After lunch and at the recommendation of a fellow diner, we stopped at Mike’s Pastry Shop for some great cannolis.
From Boston we headed south to southeastern Connecticut, where we spent a couple of days. We checked out lots of antique shops and purchased a granite mill stone for the front yard. We also spent a better part of a day at Mystic Seaport Village. Next stop, Lancaster, PA.
http://www.ussconstitution.navy.mil/
http://www.mikespastry.com/cannoli.html
Dec 19th, 2007, 01:27 PM
#37
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AMISH COUNTRY - LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA
While here, the fires raged in Southern California We watched the fires on the TV, Internet and with updates from the kids, we were keeping abreast of what’s going on at home. Our home survived, with the fires stopping about 2 miles away.
Amish country around Lancaster is beautiful farm country, with picturesque barns and farm houses. We hired a local guide for a personal tour of the area which was very informative. On Saturday we decided to venture out on our own. Although we have seen lots of Amish folks riding in their horse buggies and working on their farms, the tourist far out number them. This past weekend the main roads were clogged with tour busses and PEOPLE WHO DON’T KNOW HOW TO DRIVE. The local shops were so crowded we gave up and decided to wait out the weekend. Out in the countryside, some of the local Amish farmers sell everything from produce to quilts. It was at one such farm that we found the best soft pretzels we have ever had. We washed them down homemade root beer, some of which we purchased and took with us.
The Amish people do not like the have there picture taken, nor do they like to be asked. Photos from the distance, where they cannot be recognized seem to be ok. We managed to get a shot of a combine in the corn field. This was right next to our RV park. It was something to see their plows and combines pulled by teams of up to six horses through the fields. Although the equipment was being pulled by horses or mules, the machinery itself might be powered by a gasoline engine. Another interesting thing we learned was that they didn’t have phones in their homes, but a many people share a phone placed in a wooden phone booth placed in someone’s yard for outgoing calls only.
Near Lancaster is Gettysburg, so we spent one day there. We took a driving tour of the battlefield which we found very interesting. The battle which lasted 3 days covered and enormous area. Today a National Park, the battlefield is dotted with hundreds of monuments to those who fought and died there.
Tomorrow we get on the freeway and head southwest heading through Maryland, West Virginia and Kentucky ending up in Memphis Tennessee. I heard somewhere that they have good BBQ there. Gotta get some.
Photos can be found here:
http://flickr.com/photos/dgassa/show/
While here, the fires raged in Southern California We watched the fires on the TV, Internet and with updates from the kids, we were keeping abreast of what’s going on at home. Our home survived, with the fires stopping about 2 miles away.
Amish country around Lancaster is beautiful farm country, with picturesque barns and farm houses. We hired a local guide for a personal tour of the area which was very informative. On Saturday we decided to venture out on our own. Although we have seen lots of Amish folks riding in their horse buggies and working on their farms, the tourist far out number them. This past weekend the main roads were clogged with tour busses and PEOPLE WHO DON’T KNOW HOW TO DRIVE. The local shops were so crowded we gave up and decided to wait out the weekend. Out in the countryside, some of the local Amish farmers sell everything from produce to quilts. It was at one such farm that we found the best soft pretzels we have ever had. We washed them down homemade root beer, some of which we purchased and took with us.
The Amish people do not like the have there picture taken, nor do they like to be asked. Photos from the distance, where they cannot be recognized seem to be ok. We managed to get a shot of a combine in the corn field. This was right next to our RV park. It was something to see their plows and combines pulled by teams of up to six horses through the fields. Although the equipment was being pulled by horses or mules, the machinery itself might be powered by a gasoline engine. Another interesting thing we learned was that they didn’t have phones in their homes, but a many people share a phone placed in a wooden phone booth placed in someone’s yard for outgoing calls only.
Near Lancaster is Gettysburg, so we spent one day there. We took a driving tour of the battlefield which we found very interesting. The battle which lasted 3 days covered and enormous area. Today a National Park, the battlefield is dotted with hundreds of monuments to those who fought and died there.
Tomorrow we get on the freeway and head southwest heading through Maryland, West Virginia and Kentucky ending up in Memphis Tennessee. I heard somewhere that they have good BBQ there. Gotta get some.
Photos can be found here:
http://flickr.com/photos/dgassa/show/
Dec 20th, 2007, 03:16 PM
#40
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Southwest from Pennsylvania we drove for three days, two of which it rained, through western Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky and into Tennessee. We stopped south of Memphis, electing to stay in Tunica, Mississippi so I could play some poker at the casinos. We were close enough to Memphis to partake in some great BBQ at Neeleys Interstate BBQ.
So far on this trip, and on previous trips, we have visited many homes of our past presidents. While in Memphis we figured it was time to see the King's home, so we paid a visit to Graceland. Actually once you get over the price of admission, it was really pretty interesting. Besides the mansion and grounds, there is a auto museum with cars owned by Elvis, two of his airplanes and several other exhibits. They are into making money though. Each time you exit an exhibit, you exit into a gift shop.
The next stop was Alma, Arkansas where our next door neighbors have a second home. While there, the refrigerator in the RV quit working and parts take several weeks to get there. We transferred all the food into an ice chest and decided to head home from there, with a stop in the Dallas area to see friends.
All in all it's been a really good trip, even though we were somewhat disappointed with the fall colors in Vermont and New Hampshire. We explored new territory, visiting lots of historic sites and managing to stay within budget. There are no new trips planned as of yet, but we'll find some excuse to hit the road before too long.
I hope those of you who stumbled on to this trip report enjoyed it and that it wasn't too long winded. I know that most people on this site hotel it when traveling, but I thought it might be of interest how others see the county.
Photos can be found here:
http://flickr.com/photos/dgassa/show/
http://www.jimneelysinterstatebarbecue.com/
http://www.elvis.com/
So far on this trip, and on previous trips, we have visited many homes of our past presidents. While in Memphis we figured it was time to see the King's home, so we paid a visit to Graceland. Actually once you get over the price of admission, it was really pretty interesting. Besides the mansion and grounds, there is a auto museum with cars owned by Elvis, two of his airplanes and several other exhibits. They are into making money though. Each time you exit an exhibit, you exit into a gift shop.
The next stop was Alma, Arkansas where our next door neighbors have a second home. While there, the refrigerator in the RV quit working and parts take several weeks to get there. We transferred all the food into an ice chest and decided to head home from there, with a stop in the Dallas area to see friends.
All in all it's been a really good trip, even though we were somewhat disappointed with the fall colors in Vermont and New Hampshire. We explored new territory, visiting lots of historic sites and managing to stay within budget. There are no new trips planned as of yet, but we'll find some excuse to hit the road before too long.
I hope those of you who stumbled on to this trip report enjoyed it and that it wasn't too long winded. I know that most people on this site hotel it when traveling, but I thought it might be of interest how others see the county.
Photos can be found here:
http://flickr.com/photos/dgassa/show/
http://www.jimneelysinterstatebarbecue.com/
http://www.elvis.com/
