Our plans for the summer after leaving New Mexico and heading to South Dakota were to spend about 3 weeks at Hart Ranch and while there, get medical "stuff" taken care of. Me, an appointment with Dermatologist to check on recurring skin cancer issues and Mary to visit her PA re: her CDif problem. When that done, we were looking to begin our trip East.
We "landed" at Hart Ranch on May 24, anticipating about a 3 week stay before beginning the trek across the country. Initial plans had us in Vermont by July 1. We were in for quite a few surprises during our stay at Hart Ranch. Like a lot of the country, they experienced some rather severe weather. Just after we got there we had a rain storm that produced over 5 " of rain. Spring Creek, which you have to cross just to get into the park, and which the year before was dry, this year was flooded.
As was Lexie's dog yard......
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| The Fenced in Dog yard |
As bad as that looked, once we had checked in and got to our spot, it wasn't bad. Not too many bad sites in this park.
One day we made a trip up to Camping World (in Somerset on the way to Sturgis) and Mary came back with a new trike.....
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| This bike actually folds up for traveling. |
We did get quite a scare one afternoon when a storm blew in - high winds, lots of rain, and HAIL.
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| Pretty frightening when you are inside and hearing all that ice bounce off your rig |
We survived it. And while we were there, we did have some good experiences too. First off was discovering through Facebook that one of our old friends from that first winter in Benson, AZ was in the area. Iris and Jerry were good friends and nice people. Unfortunately the previous year Jerry had passed away and now Iris was just traveling by herself. Her AND her two Boston Terriers - Sasha and Lara. We made plans to meet in Sturgis and have lunch together.
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| Lunch with Mary & Iris at THE Knuckle Saloon |
Iris was leaving the area the next day to head back to her "home" at Wilderness Campground in Montello, WI and before she left, she talked us in to including a visit on our way east.
Other interesting things that we did while in Rapid City area was to visit some of our favorite places, like Custer State Park and Crazy Horse Memorial. And see one of our favorite groups - Brule.
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| Brule at Crazy Horse |
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| Mary at Crazy Horse |
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| Mary at Game Lodge, Custer State Park |
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| View from tower at Coolidge Mountain |
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| Another view from Coolidge Mtn |
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| Traveling in Custer State Park |
We had been planning the trip back East for some time:
- It had been 3 years since we were last there(in Vermont)
- To see family and friends, former co-workers
- To meet up with old friend Jim from PA and go on a one week fishing trip to the Champlain Islands and Holiday Harbor lodge in North Hero, Vt
- To get to Maine and Pumpkin Patch RV Park in Hermon, Me for the annual Escapees Chapter 3 Lobsterfest.
These plans included a 6 day stop in Elkhart, IN for a Mobile Suite Owners Rally. As we were approaching departure date, all plans had to change as Mary's CDif issue got worse, requiring testing, office visits, medications. We didn't dare leave until she felt comfortable traveling. As a result of this, our departure day was delayed by about 2 weeks. At this time, her bowel issues were being treated as CDif, and this trip was going to be tough on her. Finally she said she thought she could do it and we left Hart Ranch on June 27. In order to meet our commitments to be in Vt the first week of July, our trip was now compressed down to 7 days, and looked a little like this:
6.30.19 to
Elkhart Campground, Elkhart, IN.,,,,,,,,,. 303 miles
Totals: 7 days of travel. 2000 miles
A note about our trip to Wilderness Campground in Montello, WI. We did go and we did visit our friend Iris- the same one that we had lunch with in Sturgis, SD. We were getting ready to depart when she showed up to warn us about a coming storm. A bad one with high winds and possibly a tornado. She was suggesting that we needed to get going. And a good thing we did. The park later that morning got hit- high winds, trees down, tornadoes in the area, and lots of rain. And we missed it all.
A note about our trip to Indiana. Our route from Montello to Elkhart was to travel I35 south past Chicago and hit I 80, to I 90 to Elkhart. I have to say that I 80 East through Indiana was one of the poorest excuses for an interstate system road that we have experienced. And it really makes you wonder when the tolls and fuel prices are SO much higher. It is a really busy road, so where does all of this money go? Certainly not to maintain the roads. Such a shame. And they get away with it.
One of the features of Elkhart is the proximity to everything RV. Most major manufacturers are right in this are, including DRV, the manufacturer of our Mobile Suites. We passed it about 30 miles east of Elkhart. Really sorry we missed the event.
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| Just down from us at Elkhart Campground. Yes, also pulling a 44' Mobile Suites trailer |
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| Our spot at Elkhart Campground |
From Elkhart we traveled through Ohio(much better roads) to PA and a night stay in the Erie, PA area.
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| Our spot at Belden Hill Campground. And yes, the fishing was good! |
From Erie, we picked up the Southern Tier Expressway off I90 and traveled to Harpursville, NY. And what a surprise we got when we got settled in there. I was checking out their ponds(with a fishing rod of course), when I noticed a couple walking towards our trailer. When I approached them I almost fell over with surprise. It was Doug & Denise that I played pickleball with in Yuma, AZ the past 2 years. They were traveling from their home in Kansas to visit another Yuma Pickleball friend in Maine and had stopped at this particular park to do some geneology stuff pertaining to Doug's family. Small world. Indeed.
Early the next morning we were off on I88 to catch I 90. We exited I90 in Albany and headed for Troy, NY and then Vermont. And what a sight it was when we descended into Bennington and the Green Mountains and the Bennington Battle Monument. Didn't realize just how much we had missed it. The ooh's and aah's didn't last long as soon we were on Rt 9 heading up Woodford Mountain. And then down Searsburg Mountain and then up and over Hogback Mountain, and finally into Brattleboro and our destination in East Dummerston- The KOA.
This would be our "home" for the next 3 1/2 weeks.
We arrived on July 3, 7 days and 2000 miles after leaving Rapid City, SD. What a trip. And guess what the next day was? The 4th of July. So you know the park was full!! We settled in and unwound after the long trip, and two days later it was time to plan for the next trip - mine - to Lake Champlain.
Mary took the time to contact old friends and invite them over for a visit.
Lake Champlain and especially Holiday Harbor in North Hero was something special. Always loved the place.
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| Friends from PA |
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| Jim with a nice largemouth bass |
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| Bruce & Joann owners of the Lodge going out for a night of fishing |
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| Beautiful view of Lake Champlain looking north towards Missisquoi Bay |
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| Jim with a nice smallmouth bass |
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| Even I caught a few |
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| They are all nice |
Unfortunately I had to leave fishing heaven and head back to Brattleboro to see if Mary still remembered me. Fortunately for me, the fishing did not end, as I met up with old friend Chuck who was nice enough to invite me out on his boat to fish the Connecticut River.
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| Chuck with a nice one on a nice day |
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| The now decommissioned Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant off in the distance |
Lot of things going on. After our fishing, Chuck and his better half Anita had us over for pizza and beers. Good time. Another night they invited me to join them for a Keene Swampbats game. When we were living in the area, I used to enjoy going to their games. They are a member of the New England Intercollegiate Baseball League. The quality of play is excellent and the games are always exciting.
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| One of the Swampbats actually put a ball off the roof of the building past the fence in right field. It was 380' to the fence, so this hit was well over 400+ feet. |
We did take a day and travel over to Bennington, Vt to see our oldest grandson, Peter.
Back at the KOA, adjacent to the dog park was a pen where they kept 2 goats. Every Saturday morning the owner had what she called the Strolling of the Goats. This being a spinoff of the popular week long Brattleboro Farmers Festival- The Strolling of the Heifers.
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| The kids love this. |
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| Lexie was especially captivated by this event- and wished she could be part of it |
The end of the month came fast - and then it was time to head to Pumpkin Patch RV Park in Hermon, ME and the Escapees Northeast Chapter 3 Lobsterfest.
We had a nice site - close to the dog park(where lexie met some new friends), the clubhouse, laundry.
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| These 2 really enjoyed each other! |
During our stay we got to meet some new friends and visit with some old ones. All of course while enjoying Maine Seafood!
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| And sometimes we went by ourselves. Here we are celebrating our anniversary! |
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| With friends John & Kathy and Kurt and Bobbi |
We did take one day while at Pumpkin Patch and went to Acadia National Park, well, not actually the park, but right close to it - Schoodic Peninsula(which is actually part of Acadia National Park, just not with the crowds and the traffic)
If you ever have the chance......
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| This was all new stuff for Lexie- especially the Seagull poops |
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| All the beauty of the Maine coast without all the crowds and traffic of Acadia/Bar Harbor |
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| Lunch at "On the Wharf" |
And what trip to Maine would be complete without a stop here.....
And now for the real reason for the trip to Maine- Lobsterfest. This Lobsterfest was special. We had lost a number of our old friends- 3 just since our last visit. We wanted to be sure and see the rest while we still could. The club treasurer, Maureen, the one who set up everything for the Lobsterfest died 2 weeks before the event, leaving the group and the event kind of up in the air. And special thanks to Pete and his wife Donna for stepping up and making the event happen. They picked up the ball and ran with it. The pics of the event will speak for themselves....
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| fresh off the boat and packed in ice |
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| All hands on deck |
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| Testing the water. Under the watchful eye of master lobster cooker Pete. |
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| Done |
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| And now the best part. |
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| A picture is worth a thousand words |
Lastly, Maine is not only known for its seafood........
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| Mosquitos |
Maine was the easternmost limit of our trip(can't get much more East) and then it was time to pack up and begin the trip back west. Our plan had been July in Vermont, 2 1/2 weeks in Maine. Then head west eventually ending up on our leaseholder lot in Lakewood, NM. for a month or two or three. The trip had been a good one, not so good for Mary, as she was constantly having bowel issues, but she made it and I can't begin to say just how heroic she was with what she had to put up with. So, we left Maine and headed to our next major stop and a meet up with some other really special friends - at the Bassmaster Elite Series Event on Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes of NY. I would be a Marshall during this event......but that is a whole other story. More to follow.
