Wet Williamsburg - May 12, 2017

We woke to a damp cool day.  It was easy to agree that this probably wasn't the day to walk around Colonial Williamsburg.  This recreated historic town is 1/2 mile wide and 1 mile long.  We concluded that with any luck at all we would have ample opportunity in the future to visit here again.

Before lunch we decided to go find our friendly local Walmart.  Allan wanted a washer for the water hose and some cup hooks to put up by the door to hang his keys on for easy access.

As you can see in the picture it was a dreary day.

We went to Walmart and noticed that Lowe's was next door.  We ended up walking over there to find the items he was looking for.  I walked up and down the aisles to get in a little walking since we would soon be returning to the camper for the day.

We strolled through the bathroom aisles and saw just the rig we could use to replace our bathtub in Maine and turn it into a shower.  Nothing like a project or two for our summer in Maine.

Before returning to the campground we drove to the Visitor's Center at Historic Williamsburg.  We picked up a few brochures and are eager to return in the future. Jamestown and Yorktown also look like interesting places to visit.

Shortly after our return to the campground we heard a train whistle.  I got my phone and went outside and took this short video.  Allan estimates that we are 20 yards from the track.

Soon after we got back to the campground the rain started and it is raining steadily.  

We have had multiple requests to bring sunshine and dry weather to Maine with us when we arrive.  Hang in there folks, we are due on Tuesday and I'm still hoping to fulfill your requests. 

Richmond Hill, GA to Williamsburg, VA - May 11, 2017

Yesterday we traveled 403 miles in 8 hours.

We had a quiet night in the campground.  It was hot and we had the air conditioner on and slept great. However, for no apparent reason we woke at 5:30 am. We enjoyed the fact that there was no line and no waiting at the showers.  We were on the road by 7:30.  

The rest stops in North Carolina were very nicely landscaped.  I just had to take this picture of the Magnolia blossom.  When we get much further north we won't see any more of them.  I don't think I've ever seen a Magnolia in Maine.

These roses in full bloom were at the same rest stop.  I don't imagine the roses in Maine are quite in bloom yet.

I've never been a fan of billboards.  I think that it is really nice that we don't have them in Maine.  When we are traveling on these interstates we see them frequently.  I got this picture while we were still in North Carolina.  I guess Virginians think they have better peanuts than others.

Soon after crossing the boarder into Virginia I noticed that the temperature had dropped from a mid day high of 87 to 58 under a heavy sky.  I looked pretty silly in my shorts and flip flops!

I got this shot as we crossed over a Virginia bridge.  No drought here.  This river is full to overflowing.

We arrived here in Williamsburg, VA at 5:30 pm.  We were on the road for 10 hours and Allan drove 536 miles.  We are staying for two nights at the Anvil Campground.

This is in a rural location but the campground is very snug.  You can almost reach out and touch your neighbors.  And the same is true of the nearby Amtrak train tracks.  A million car freight train is going by just now. "Trailers for sale or rent, rooms to let for 50 cents, third boxcar midnight train, destination Bangor, Maine..."

The weather here is dreary with showers.  It could be rainy tomorrow, a day we plan to spend in Historic Williamsburg.  We will review that plan tomorrow.

I'm loving trailer camping so far.  Let's just say I'm happy that I am not traveling on a motorcycle and not sleeping in a tent!  Hot temperatures, cold temperatures, and rain, I've been there and done that.

Venice, FL to Richmond Hill, GA - May 10, 2017

Yesterday I took my final, for now, early morning walk along the Intracoastal Waterway Park.  It was another beautiful morning with lots of sunshine and temps in the high 60's when I started out at about 7:15 and mid 70's by the time I got home.  We've been walking 3+ miles most mornings and it takes us over an hour.

You will notice that my FL pictures all show bright sunshine.  That's what we've had for the past 7 months. It only rained briefly a few times.  It is very, very dry.

This past winter there was a lot of red tide and we didn't go to the beach much.  This spring it has been quite windy and rough.  The beach is delightful and the water temp. is hovering in the high 70's.

Last night we enjoyed our "last night supper" at the Crow's Nest.  It was a magnificent sunset.

We dined with Allan's sister, Terry, and her good guy, Ernie.  It has been great fun to have them in Venice all winter.  We look forward to many more.

We go through quite a process to ready our house for summer.  It takes about 2 full days of cleaning and closing inside and out.

This morning we were up at 6:00 and on the road before 8:00.  We stopped for a quick breakfast at the Wee Blew Inn and headed north on the highway.  Below is a picture of us at our first rest stop.  All is going well with the truck and trailer.

Shortly after crossing over into Georgia we saw a plume of smoke ahead.  When we got close we were astounded by the sight of this tractor trailer with the cab burning.  Lucky for us it was on the south bound side of I 95.

It was very hot today while we were driving.  At one point the thermometer in our truck registered 97 degrees!

We are spending the night in Richmond Hill, GA in Fort McAllister State Park.  We arrived at about 4:30 and got set up.  Then we contacted Allan's sister, Elvira, and she and Sal met us for dinner.  It is always nice to squeeze in a short visit with family.

We will be off again in the morning, headed to Williamsburg, VA.

MV Blue Puttees - August 5, 2016

Today was our day to travel 98 nautical miles aboard the MV Blue Puttees from Channel Port aux Basques, Newfoundland to North Sidney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.

As you can see from this photo.  We arrived plenty early for this ferry.  There were only a handful of tractor trailers there and a dozen cars when we arrived.

We had the option of renting reclining seats in the rear of the 9th level.  We decided to reserve 4 of these chairs.  This is the view from that level.  
Collectively we decided that it was a waste of money.  There are plenty of less plush recliners on level 7.  Also the ferry seemed to have a bit more motion on the higher level.
It took 6 hrs. 45 min. for our crossing.  It was cloudy and cool when we left NL and it cleared up and was warm by the time we arrived in Nova Scotia.

Looking over the rail on the 7th level.

Yes, there was a porthole.

Prior to arriving in North Sidney we met the MV Atlantic Vision on it's way to Argentia, Newfoundland.  That trip takes approximately 16 hours.

Allan and I made a tour of the upper deck as we approached North Sidney.  We discovered this helipad is on the top front of the ferry.  

With luck we will make it home tomorrow.  We have about 600 miles between here and Hampden.  At that point we will have traveled 3,300 miles through Maine, New Brunswick, Quebec, Labrador, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia.  We will have been on the road for just over two weeks.

We have had a truly splendid adventure with our great friends: Lynn and Jeff Fish, Chris and Bill Fowler and Susan and Brian Smith.  I'm looking forward to many more to come...

For now, there are enough home improvement opportunities for us back in Hampden to keep us busy for the remainder of the summer.

Cape St. George - Blue Beach - Chanel Port Aux Basque - August 4, 2016

We started our day by driving down a dirt road to a beach and informal park.  We took the trail to the Hidden Falls.  

These falls are really well hidden.  We couldn't see them.  I guess August is not the time to visit.  Allan and I saw pictures on the web and the water was pouring down from the top.

Another pebble beach with rocks of many colors.

There are cliffs everywhere and the views are out of this world. While we were here we saw a Minke whale swim past.  

This was the extraordinary view from the one-holer!

???

This is a picture of our Garmin as we drove down a dirt road on a spit of land to look for fossils.  It gave me a chuckle.  No road and just a little land between the blue water...

We came upon a small seasonal fishing village and these limestone ledges.

There is our Toy Taco perched atop the limestone.

 I found some stones with fossils in them that I will be bringing home.  The pictures above are of fossils in the ledges.

This little outpost was not on our map but apparently we arrived at Blue Beach.

The mountains are everywhere even out here on Cape St. George.

This area of Newfoundland was settled by French fishermen about 500 years ago.  This is a one quarter scale traditional French community oven.

As a welcome to visitors, bread is prepared and provided free of charge daily in the summer except on Sundays.  The bread is ready to eat beginning at noon.

The Mildhogs were delighted that there was still hot bread available when we arrived at 1:30.  It is served with margarine and homemade jam or molasses.  It was a culinary highlight of the trip for most. 

This house typifies many of the small houses that we have seen in the rural areas of Newfoundland.  Many of them seem to be split-level.  Few of them have garages.  Most of them have metal chimneys. 

We have arrived at Chanel Port Aux Basque.  Tonight we went downtown to hear some traditional music.  We found the songs to be a bit depressing.  One was about someone who committed suicide, one was about a man who shot a groom on his wedding day because he was in love with the bride and another was about a fella that came back from somewhere, maybe jail from shooting the groom, to find nobody home.

To lighten our mood after the concert we went to a beautiful sandy beach and walked along a boardwalk and watched the sun set.  I left my camera at the hotel or you would have another sunset picture.

Tomorrow we will bid a fond fair well to Newfoundland, the rock. Well that is if we make it to the ferry on time...

Cape St. George, NL - August 3, 2016

Today we drove 290 miles from Lewisporte southwest to Cape St. George.  

Along the way we saw a ski resort and summer zip line.  We drove on past with no zip line takers today. 

We passed several really large lakes.

This dwarf thistle was plentiful in a spot where we stopped for our picnic lunch.

Birdsfoot Trefold - Lotus corniculatus

I'm quite sure I should know this plant but can't come up with the name.

This was the view where we stopped for our lunch.  

We drove out to our lodgings, The Inn at the Cape, and passed by many limestone cliffs like this one.  This cliff is topped with a limestone mine.  40 - 60 ships a year are loaded with this product. Some is used in conjunction with iron ore to make steel and some is used to make cement.

The inn is on the side of a hill and this is the view off the front 2nd floor balcony.

This is the view to the east.  Traveling here on the cape is the first time we have seen open fields and livestock.  In several places along this road people were raking fields of hay.  I think that means that the weather should be fair tomorrow.  Our fingers are crossed for another lovely day like today.

Oh no, what has come over me.  It was 46 degrees when Allan got up this morning and we had a high of 68 degrees with sun.  Two weeks up here and I think that's a lovely day...

This was our sunset view to the southwest.  Another gorgeous sunset.

Dinner is included with our stay.  It was served family style to the 17 guests.  Everything was yummy and I hear that the chocolate cake was out of this world eaten with a side of Canadian smooth and creamy Bryer's vanilla ice cream.

We are looking forward to our last full day of Newfoundland adventures tomorrow.  There is already much talk about what time we will arrive at the ferry on Friday morning.  I expect that we just might be near the front of the line.