Home Sweet Home!

After 15 days, we drove over 2,800 miles, used 350 gallons of gas and now we are finally home.  It was an amazing trip, with lots of memories made.  The kids are having a hard time picking out their favorite part of the trip.

Now we're cleaning up, doing laundry, making some repairs on the camper, and thinking about the next trip.  Our next couple trips won't be as elaborate, but we're looking forward to some nice short trips as the summer continues.  I'm a convert - no more tent camping for us!

Day 13 - Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Today we visited Gettysburg, after an uneventful short drive form Eastern Pennsylvania.   We went straight to the visitor center before setting up camp.  Being a bit wiped out from all the driving, we thought we might crash after setting up the trailers and never make it to Gettysburg.

The visitor center was very nice.  A fairly large museum, movie theater and the largest oil painting in North America.  The weather was looking questionable, so we chose to hang out at the center and see what there was to do.

I had heard to watch the movie to get a better idea of what happened at Gettysburg.  It was narrated by Morgan Freeman, so easy to listen to!  It definitely gave you a great vision of how it all went down.  After the movie, we went upstairs to see the Cyclorama, an oil painting of the battle.  It was a beautiful painting of a terrible time in our history.  The detail was amazing.  Then we checked out the museum which held innumerable artifacts and treasures of the battle and gave great information regarding the Civil War.

The weather was not on our side today, it started to downpour as we started to get ready to leave.  We waited it out so we could get to our cars and then decided to pass on the auto tour.  I think we had enough of a history lesson for the day and just needed to relax.  So we packed up and headed for the campsite.  The rest of Gettysburg would have to wait for another trip.

We got to our site and the weather cleared a bit.  It was incredibly muggy, but it was still good to be out and not stuck in a car or building.  Jenni and I had some fun trying to do some errands in Pennsylvania. Beer and wine aren't sold in the same stores as groceries or even together, so to pick up food, local beer for the guys and some wine took three stops.  But we managed to get it all done and then back to get dinner ready for the family.

I think this was one of the more relaxing days we had in a while so it was good to just sit with nothing to do.  The next day was going to be another long driving day to meet up with some friends in Ohio.  We were all looking forward to visiting with them for a couple days.

Day 12 - From Here to There, We Just Can't Get Anywhere...

We left Salem and the ocean to head inland for the rest of our trip.  We are making our way to Gettysburg and to cut a long driving day down we are stopping somewhere just inside the Pennsylvania border.  Who knew the lengths we would have to take to get ourselves out of the New England area.

Google Maps has been wonderful, until now.  Apparently if you drive around the the Connecticut/New York/New Jersey/Eastern Pennsylvania area you'd better know your road system and how tall your vehicle is.  We had to turn around 4 times because the bridges were too short or the turns were too narrow.  Google Maps doesn't have an option for campers.  We think they should!

The first two hang ups were highways that didn't allow access to commercial vehicles.  We weren't a commercial vehicle, so we didn't think anything of it.  Then we realized it wasn't the weight that was a concern, it was height.  Bridges would be as low as 8'6" and we were definitely taller than that.  Fortunately,  we were able to get turned around and headed on another freeway.

Our third hang up was on a road just off the freeway.  We were cruising along until we saw a sign that said "Low Bridge Ahead 11'6"."  Not entirely confident we could go under, we pulled off the side to measure our trailer.  It was a close call, and not one that we wanted to risk.  Fortunately, a nice fireman helped us get turned around and back on our way.

This is where we stopped to turn around.  Close call!

Marc turning around and blocking traffic.

Our final obstacle, a small bridge to cross the Delaware River into Pennsylvania.  A nice Barney Fife looking Road Commission guy stopped us and said we wouldn't make the turn on the other side.  He kindly "helped" us by stopping traffic so we could turn around.  Unfortunately, he didn't warn us about the brick wall that we scraped as we made the turn.  Luck has not been on our side today.  The damage was minor, nothing we couldn't fix when we got home and thankfully nothing as serious as a blown tire!

After we got ourselves turned around, we found ourselves winding our way through one lane roads for two-way traffic, following the river until we could get to a bridge that we can cross.  These towns are not meant for RV traffic, but we manage to make it to our campsite.  The campground is beautiful, and we can't wait to get set up.

Final blow for the day, we literally blow a circuit as we back into our site.  Sparks flew everywhere and smoke filled the air.  Marc managed to change the circuit that blew and melted on the battery that runs the refrigerator when we're driving.  He had the forethought to order an extra part when he fixed it the first time and brought it with us.  Praying it doesn't blow again, as we will be out of luck if it does.

I think we have had our fill for the day.  A trip that should have taken 6-7 hours took us 9 hours when all was said and done.  Good thing we all have a sense of humor or this vacation would be wreck.  As crazy as it's been, I still wouldn't trade it for anything.

Time to sit back with a drink and enjoy the setting.  This place feels like what camping should be.  Wish it was closer,  I could see us returning again for sure!

Day 11 - Boston, Massachusetts and The Freedom Trail

Today we tackled the city of Boston, and took to the Freedom Trail, a path that leads you through all the major historical buildings and sites throughout the city.  Originally, we thought we would take the train in, but decided we would like the flexibility to leave when we were ready. Plus, it was cheaper to park then to pay for everyone to ride the train.  We chose to start the trail at the North end, thinking it would be better to not drive through the city.

We arrived at the USS Constitution and the visitor center to start our day, looking forward to walking around the ship. Unfortunately, the ship was closed on Mondays for maintenance.  That was a bummer, but the museum was open, so we checked it out after we took some pictures and walked around.  The museum was fun, lots to see and do.  Little did we know it was probably the best part of the trail.  Maybe that's why it's at the end.

Bunker Hill Memorial

The trail is a mere 2.5 mile walk and after all the hiking and climbing the kids had been doing last week, we figured this would be a breeze.  Well, we didn't factor in the heat (around 90 degrees), the pavement making it seem even hotter and the excitement factor that old city architecture and burial grounds brings to children of all ages.  Maybe this wasn't a great idea after all!  I think if you asked the kids about the best part of the historical tour (excluding the USS Constitution Museum) they would tell you it was hearing a tour guide say, "this bar is the only place in the world where you can drink a cold Sam Adams while looking at a cold Sam Adams."  Maybe it was a vacation fail, but it didn't quite compare to what happened next.

Our plan was to have dinner at Cheers when we finished the trail.  It was just a short walk from Boston Commons.  The kids were hot and we thought it would be fun to get some appetizers and drinks before we headed back to the camper.  As we approached the restaurant, there was a crowd gathered, not a good sign.  We didn't want to wait.  Turns out a private party rented the place for the evening, so no Cheers for us.  It was a disappointment.  Boston kind of turned out to be a bust for everyone.

What did we learn?  Don't do Boston as a quick stop on a camping trip.  Boston is an awesome city, too much for a day visit (which we knew), and not good for camping (which we didn't know).  I'm looking forward to when we can come back and enjoy.

Andrew and Colin wearing Microsoft World Cup gear.  Freebies for  completing a survey.

Day 10 - Did That Really Just Happen?

Today we had to leave Maine behind and head south for Boston, Massachusetts.  Wish we could have stayed longer, but the non-nature portion of our trip awaits!

Our trip was going smoothly, we stopped at Freeport to check out the L.L. Bean stores and to get lunch.  As we were driving in, we saw a pretty white house that was converted into a McDonald's.  We decided that we needed to check it out.  It would be a quick lunch, so that appealed to us as well.  It was so strange, as you walk in, it looks like a typical McDonald's (tile floor, counters, kitchen and menus), then the dining areas look like an old New England home parlor and dining room complete with old wood floors, chandeliers and a fireplace!  Quite the place.

After lunch, we walked around a little, shopped and got some Ben & Jerry's ice cream (my kids are addicted!).  As we were heading out, I asked Marc if he wanted to get gas since we were stopped.  He said no, that we should be good for a while.  Who knew that choice would lead to some serious consequences down the road.

For those of you who drive newer cars, there's this great function that tells you how many miles you can drive before you run out of gas.  This works really well if you have been driving under the same conditions for extended periods of time, like with or without a trailer, or in areas with hills or no hills.  Well, we just spent the last five days driving without the trailer, so let's just say our calculator was a little bit off.

As we were heading into New Hampshire on I-95, Marc hears the low gas warning signal and notices we have 24 miles to go before empty.  Still not thinking the mileage calculator was off, we start looking for a gas station. Nothing immediate pops up, but we "should be ok."  I think I must have subconsciously knew we were in trouble, so I asked him again how many miles we have and all it says is "low gas."  Then the truck starts to slow down, coming to a complete stop on an overpass.  I can't believe this just happened to us.  Really?  We're smarter than this, I know we are.

Fortunately, we packed bikes for this trip and Marc's was easy to get out of the trailer.  We just had to figure out where the nearest gas station was.  From the overpass, we could see several car dealerships, so a gas station should be close by, right?  Our next problem is how to get there.  The exit we are at is an interchange for a couple state roads and the highway, so the roads are a mess of cloverleafs.  Marc decides to just head out and see where it all leads.

About 15 minutes later, he calls to let us know he found gas and is on his way back.  But getting back is no picnic.  We see him riding along the 4 lane road and finally appearing on our side of the overpass where he decides to cross the median with his bike and can of gas. After riding through a traffic circle, crossing 4 lanes of traffic, climbing over 2 cement barriers, climbing a hill and jumping a fence, he's finally back at the truck.  A truck that has it's fuel tank on the driver's side of the vehicle.  He eventually manages to get the gas in the truck with traffic racing by. It was quite the ordeal, and not quite over yet!

Apparently, there was some confusion at the gas station.  I won't go into the details as this story is already long, but he left without paying for the gas, promising to come back since we needed to fill up our truck.  Surprisingly, the clerk let him go, probably because of the angry customer that got caught in the middle of it all.

So we start to head back to the gas station and missed the exit Marc took on his bike.  So Marc says to me, "I need you to figure out how to get us to the station I was at."  Of course, he can't recall anything about where he was, so I suggested we just get gas and if we see the station, we'll stop.  We eventually did make it back after driving around a bit.  And it's a good thing we did.  There was a police officer waiting for him to return.  All for $7 worth of gas.  Not sure what would have happened if we didn't come back, but it was worth a chuckle to think an APB might be out for Marc, the bike riding gas thief!

So after all that, we make it to our "campsite."  While the gas situation was going on, Jenni was giving us the lowdown on our location for the next couple nights. Our site was a parking lot next to the ocean at a marina.  No sewer hookups, no fires and no public consumption of alcohol.  You've got to be kidding!  But the view was nice, as long as you looked to the water.  We were staying in Salem, Massachusetts, camping options were limited.  It was a bit sketchy, not a place to let the kids wander after sundown, but we weren't planning to hang out long.  The next day would be spent
walking the Freedom Trail in Boston!  For the time being, we just
hung out by the water, looking for crabs, collecting sea glass and enjoying the view.

My sea glass collection for the night.

The view from our campsite (if you took a short walk)!

Day 9 - Carriage Roads and Bubble Rock

Another gorgeous day in Acadia, so today we took on the carriage roads.  There are miles and miles of roads to take,
but since we were fairly out of shape inexperienced bike riders, we picked one that was mostly flat and not too long - Witch's Pond Carriage Road.

It was a fun ride, the paths were wide and easy to ride.  It wasn't completely flat, so you could feel the burn on the inclines.  The kids hung in there pretty well, especially our youngest rider, mostly due to the promise of popovers and lemonade when we finished.

We stopped at the Jordan Pond House for a traditional Acadia snack after our ride.  The Jordan Pond House is a beautiful place to have lunch or a traditional afternoon tea.  We didn't get to sit out on the lawn, but we did get our popovers with strawberry jam and blueberry lemonade.  The lemonade was brought over to us without sweetener and then we each got a small pot of simple syrup to sweeten it as much as liked. Most of us used all that they gave us.  A few more added additional sugar.  It was pretty tart, but very good.

After lunch, Marc took some of the kids hiking to Bubble Rock and to revisit Cadillac Mountain.  Bubble Rock is a large rock that was moved by a glacier and dropped in place when it finally melted enough to not move it any farther.  It looks like you could just push it off the edge of the cliff.

We spent our last evening sitting by the campfire next to the ocean. We were lucky that no one camped across the street from us so we could use the space to hang out.  It was a pretty view of the island and a nice place to relax.

Wish we didn't have to leave.  I think we all wished we could stay a little longer.

Day 8 - Tackling the Beehive and Sea Kayaking

The weather finally cooperated and we had a beautiful day ahead of us - upper 70's and sunny. A perfect day to do some hiking and warm enough for some water fun!

We started the day with a hike on the Beehive Trail, which is a trail straight up the side of a small mountain.  The hike was tough, climbing over rocks, up rebar rungs that were placed to make the hike easier and over a small iron bridge that connected one ledge to another.  It was one of those hikes that makes you feel like you can tackle anything.  We all loved it.  It was amazing, wish we had time to do it again, but there was just too much to do and get to and not enough time on our schedule.

Hiking up the Beehive Trail

After lunch, we did a little shopping in Bar Harbor.  Bar Harbor has tons of stores and lots of places to eat, including plenty of ice cream shops!  Of course, we needed some ice cream to help keep us going for our 2.5 hour sea kayaking trip that was coming up pretty quick.

We closed out our day with a sea kayaking trip.  Sea kayaking was one thing we looked forward to long before we left on our trip and this was the place to do that.  We managed to find a company that allowed all our kids to participate.  Most groups want one adult per kid under the age of 16, so we were concerned we wouldn't be able to go.

The day was warm, but not too hot and the water was like a sheet of glass, perfectly smooth.  We couldn't have asked for a better day.  So all 10 of us suited up, paid close attention to our instructor as he explained the how-to's of kayaking and we were off!

The views were beautiful.  We paddled around Bar Island just across from Bar Harbor and around the Porcupine Islands in Frenchman's Bay.  We saw a bald eagle perched on a pine tree and even caught a glimpse of a harbor seal playing in the water behind us.  It was an awesome trip.

Lobster dinner  to go!

We ended our day kind of late, so we needed to get dinner out.  I was hoping to get a traditional lobster dinner, but knew the kids wouldn't care for it.  So we picked up pizza for the kids and did take out lobster for the adults.  There's a Lobster Pound on just about every corner, so we thought we'd give it a try.  Fortunately for us, it was a good choice!  And since it was a beautiful night, we lit a fire across the street in an empty campsite that was on the water and ate our dinner there.  Pretty much the perfect ending to a perfect day.

I think I could just stay here all summer!

Beehive Trail warning sign

The Beehive Trail from below