July 13
At long last we're on vacation, YAY!! We worked from home today, to make tonight's get-away a little easier. It's 5:30 now, the trailer's packed and we're ready to hit the road. First stop will be the NASCAR races in Loudon, New Hampshire.(Later...)
It's 11:00 and we're only partway to the track but we've decided to stop for the night rather than drive straight through. We've just arrived at a highway service area on the Maine Turnpike. These things are great! Immediately off the highway we have gas pumps, a Burger King and a nice big parking lot. Right now we're the only RV here, but more will arrive throughout the night.
July 14
This morning we got up around 7:00, took the puppy dogs for a quick stroll, grabbed some breakfast in Burger King and hit the road. We arrived at New Hampshire International Speedway around 10:30. By noon we were all settled in, so we decided to walk around and meet our neighbors. We met a very nice couple from Augusta, ME - Rick and Mary. They're parked directly behind us. They, much like us, have been making this trip for about 7 years. They're "dog people", so we hit it off right away! Other neighbors include a couple of firemen from Vermont on one side of us and a bunch of guys from Albany, NY on the other side. July 15
Oh boy...it's Friday, and the on-track activities start today! There will be preliminary races both today and tomorrow, that lead up to the big event on Sunday.I think it's going to be warm today...at 10:00 a.m. it's already 27oC!!
Well this year we decided to put the puppy dogs in a kennel during our stay here at NHIS. The track can be quite a stressful place for the puppies, with the noise and commotion that will be going on all around us for the next three days, and it's always SO HOT! So a few months ago, we decided to make reservations for them at a place called Moonlite Kennels in Tilton, NH. Tilton is about 10 miles from the racetrack. We dropped them off around 10:00 this morning. Very nice place! Lots of room for them to run around and the folks that run the place are great! We'll definitely be using their services again! Hopefully Chloe will warm up to this place. As a rule she doesn't like kennels that much. Kelly, on the other hand, seems to enjoy them. Kelly is one tough chick, and thinks of herself as Chloe's protector - she lived on the streets before she came into our lives. Before we even closed the gate, Miss Kelly was already standing her ground. Off to one side she was standing nose to nose with, not one, but two gigantic Huskies who were in an adjacent cage. "...WHO ARE YOU LOOKIN' AT?? HUH?? YOU LOOKIN' AT ME???...", Kelly seemed to be saying. Back out front, from behind the closed gate, Chloe was standing on her hind legs watching us leave, her eyes pleading "...please don't go please don't go please don't go please don't go...". Meanwhile, the stare-down continued between Kelly and the Huskies..."YOU WANNA PIECE OF ME??". No one will be messing with our puppies!!
After dropping off the puppies, we stopped for breakfast at Shirley and Flo's, a restaurant just down the street from the kennel. We both had the "Ultimate Loaded Omelet". OH MY GOD, it was good!! It was a pretty big feed too! That should carry us over the rest of the day.
We got back to the trailer about 12:00, and walked to the track as the weekend's first races, were about to get underway. The afternoon started with the Modified Tour. The Modifieds always put on a good show and today was no exception. Ted Christopher won a close race with two other cars battling him for the lead as they crossed the finish line.
We watched the Busch North race shortly after that. This one was kinda boring...as it usually is. It was won by Matt Kobyluck.
July 16
We cooked up a good breakfast this morning - ham, eggs, toast and coffee - then walked over to the track. Qualifying sessions happen this morning, then The Busch Series boys will take to the track this afternoon for their race.During qualifying, Kevin Harvick won the pole position for the Busch race while Brian Vickers won the pole for tomorrow's Cup race. Brian is still looking for his first win...maybe it'll happen this weekend!!
The Busch race was very good, lots of 2 wide, and even some 3-wide racing. Awesome!! To top it off, one of the locals who's made it to the big leagues, Martin Truex Jr. won the race.
For the uninitiated, a NASCAR race is an event like no other, especially when you "live" at the racetrack for the weekend. This is a sub-culture that differs from just about anything on earth. Regardless of what they're driving (or hauling), all these people have one thing in common - they are rabid race fans. Even though these RVers may come from entirely different backgrounds, for this weekend, they're all members of the NASCAR brotherhood. You'll see half-million dollar rigs parked next to five hundred dollar rigs. Everyone is talking to everyone about their favorite drivers, favorite racetracks and favorite beer! The "campground" covers over 600 acres and there are approximately 10,000 rigs here. Sheila calls it a "race slum"! On Sunday, there will be a total of 110,000 spectators in the grandstands, creating the largest city in New Hampshire...for one day!
Something else you'll see here are hundreds and hundreds of "Radio Flyer" wagons. Yes, the very same little red wagons that kids all over the country have! But here they serve an entirely different purpose than hauling your little guy or girl around the yard. At NHIS, race fans use them to move their massive stacks of coolers from the campground area to the grandstands. And you'll see them customized in every way imaginable! Some will have race car cut-outs stuck to the sides, while others will be painted to look like race cars. Some will have huge wheels and at least one was motorized!!
July 17
WOOHOO...race day has arrived!!Shortly after getting up this morning, we decided to head over to the track and pick up some souvenirs before the crowds get too crazy! Got back to the trailer a little later with a Rusty Wallace T-shirt and mug, and a Tony Stewart cap and mug.
Just before noon we had a quick bite at the trailer, then packed some snacks and drinks into a cooler and headed for the grandstands to see the big race. GO TONY!!
(After the race...)
What an awesome show, lots of side-by-side racing, and to top it off, Tony Stewart won!! The weather was iffy though and we got very worried as raindrops started to fall as we were walking to the track. We ended up sitting through an hour of rain during the opening ceremonies. Thankfully it stopped just in time, and the race went ahead without a hitch. Now it's time to relax with a cold beverage and watch the madness as thousands of people all try to leave at the very same time! As far as I'm concerned, it's much easier to wait and then leave tomorrow.
July 18
Time to move on. We headed out at about 7:30 to pick up puppies (without the trailer). Stopped at a Dunkin' Donuts along the way to have a breakfast sandwich then we drove to Moonlite Kennels. Talk about a couple of excited puppies!! They were some boisterous when they saw us pull in! We loaded the puppies into the truck, headed back to NHIS to hook up the trailer, then we were off to places unknown.It's a warm one today with no threat of rain - sunny and 34oC!
We ended up in Randolph, Vermont at a campground called Champagne Lake Campground. It's quite nice here with large sites, rolling green hills and a big lake not far from our trailer. Very quiet and peaceful.
July 19
Woke up this morning to an absolutely beautiful day! Sunny and warm...feels like we could get into the thirties again. We decided this might be a good day to do laundry...especially since the hamper was overflowing onto the floor!! So we headed into the town of Randolph. Met some very nice folks at the laundromat, who are visiting from Texas. As it turns out, they are staying at the same campground as us. I'm sure we'll meet up again.On the way back to the campground, we came across a roadside ice cream stand. Well, I thought we were due for a yummy treat. I had Peanut Butter Fudge Chunk...delicious!! Sheila had Maple Walnut...that looked pretty darn good as well!
There seems to be a lot of historical properties in this area, but one in particular caught my eye...Floyd's General Store. I decided to investigate - so, I stopped by late in the day to have a chat with the proprietor. As it turns out this store was built in 1843 and originally sold coffins! Around the turn of the century it was moved across the road to its current location where it became a General Store. Amazingly, today the store is only on it's fifth owner.
July 20
It's moving day again! We left Randolph behind us and headed for Upstate New York. We decided on the "Adirondack Adventure Resort Campground" just outside Saratoga Springs.Well, we found it alright...but I wouldn't exactly call it a "Resort"!! It's nice...and rustic...but a Resort?? No. We ended up parked right on a nice little lake, with a very nice view. They even have a nature trail that meanders all the way around the lake.
Tonight we went into Saratoga Springs to see what it was all about. It appears to be quite a horse racing mecca! Apparently in five days time this place will be overrun with horse racing fans as their yearly thoroughbred races get underway. Saratoga seems like a cool place...lots of open air patio cafés and pubs. On the way home, we stopped at a grocery store, picked up some supplies then grabbed a pizza at a "Pizza Time" take out. It was good! I wonder if Pizza Time is a chain? I sure would like to come across another one. Yummy!!
July 21
Another nice day...sunny and 32oC. Decided to head into Albany, NY. Actually before we even reached Albany we got sidetracked when we stumbled across a Camping World store. These things are great! Basically a Super Store for camping supplies. We've tried to find one of these stores in the past, but they don't have any locations in the Maritimes or even in New England. Picked up a couple of their reclining camp chairs, admired their Honda generators, quickly looked at their motorhomes then headed for home.As we were driving back to the trailer, we came across a sign for a Cracker Barrel restaurant. Sheila and I exchanged glances and I immediately turned off at the next exit...we LOVE Cracker Barrel! I ordered their Half-Pound Hamburger Platter...yummy. Sheila had the Chicken and Dumplings...she said it was just okay. Over the years we've stopped at quite a few Cracker Barrels, but this was the first time either one of us had a meal that fell short of awesome. Oh well...it was bound to happen that sooner or later we'd have a meal that was a bit disappointing.
July 22
Time to move on and today we're heading south.Before we began our trip, I researched a couple of small towns in southern New York State where TV shows were recorded by TLC and Discovery Channel. So we thought we'd camp close by and see if we could find the locations of these TV shows. More on this later.
We set out from Randolph mid-morning and took our time driving down through NY State. Came across a campground called "Lazy G Campground" in Woodridge, NY. Well, when the name of a campground contains the word "lazy", I know it's a place for me. We booked a site for a couple of days, then drove around for a little while to discover the area.
During our short stay we were very intrigued by the large number of "colonies" and "camps" found along the country roads here. We also found many Jewish folks walking along the roads wearing very formal attire. Interesting. Getting back to the campground, I had to ask the campground owners about our sightings. We learned that this area is known as the "Jewish Alps". During July and August, Jewish families from neighbouring states all congregate in this part of the Catskill Mountains to study religion at these colonies. Early in Summer the father will drive his family here and drop off his wife and children, coming back on weekends to visit. This being Friday night explained why all these people were walking. As the story goes, they are not allowed to use their cars from Friday night until Saturday night. Saturday must be their Sabbath?
July 23
It's time to look for TV stars :) Woodridge is situated between Montgomery, NY and Jeffersonville, NY. These town names might be familiar for anyone that watches TLC or Discovery Channel.Montgomery is the home of Orange County Choppers. OCC is the motorcycle shop made famous by the Discovery Channel's "American Chopper". OCC is run by the Teutle Family - father Paul Sr., and sons Paul Jr., and Mikey. After driving around a bit we managed to find their shop where the bikes are built. Very cool. Unfortunately the shop isn't open to the general public, so I took a few outside shots, then drove to their store, which was just a couple blocks away. Got to check out some of their famous bikes that were on display at the store. Picked up a shirt and hat.
Jeffersonville was featured on TLC's "Town Haul". The TLC gang set up shop here for a few weeks last year and renovated some of the storefronts and public areas. While there we just had to visit a couple of businesses that were featured on the TV show. We grabbed lunch at Michelangelo's. I ordered the Meatball Sub (delicious), and Sheila had the spaghetti with garlic (also very yummy). After that we walked to Kelly's Kones for ice cream. Mmmmmmm...very good!
July 24
Another warm day - sunny and 29C. I think this might be the first day since leaving Saint John the thermometer didn't hit 30oC.Today we've decided to move on to Connecticut. Found a place in East Lyme called Aces High Camping Resort. Very nice place! The sites are open and grassy but are extremely clean and neat.
After setting up camp we didn't do much...relaxed at the trailer with some cool drinks...took puppies for a stroll...then had a little campfire.
July 25
Today we drove around and took in the sites along the coast. Drove through a really cool little seaport town called Mystic. From there we drove to North Stonington and came across the biggest casino in the world - Foxwoods Resort and Casino. It is HUGE!! The parking lot itself was almost a mile long!We were heading back to the trailer about 4:30 when we stumbled across an "Outback Steakhouse" restaurant. We love Outback restaurants :) Started out with some drinks - I had a Frozen Strawberry Kiwi Lemonade and Sheila had the Gold Coast Margarita. For meals I ordered the Chicken and Ribs while Sheila had the Prime Rib. Everything was delicious!
July 26
Packed up this morning and headed to our next destination - Boston. Since we've only been spending two nights at each stop along the way, we thought it would be nice to settle down in one place for awhile. So we'll be set up here in the Boston KOA until Sunday.Another warm one - 37oC and muggy! There is talk of thunder showers in the forecast, so maybe there will be some cooler temperatures following it.
July 27
After only staying one night here, we've already come to the conclusion that this is one of the nicer KOA's. We've stayed at many KOA's over the years, but I can only come up with a handful where we had a pleasant experience. It's nice and clean and relatively quiet here. In the future, if we were to ever plan a return trip to Boston, I'm sure we'll be staying here.
It seems like we're surrounded by motorhome dealerships here, and since we'll soon be in the market for a motorhome, we decided to take full advantage. We saw some real nice rigs today...real nice! We can't afford to get one of these beauties just yet, but soon.
July 28
Today we decided to head into the big city of Boston. Last time we visited Boston, we attempted to drive and park in the city. Big mistake! The traffic is unbelievable! And a vacant parking space is non-existent! We've since been told (by Bostonians even) that the best idea is use Boston's transit system. So this time we did. Fabulous idea!We did a guided city tour. As part of a package deal, we also got a narrated harbour tour. We did the harbour tour first, then resumed with the city tour. Both were very informative. At one of the stops of the city tour, we decided to get off the bus and walk around the city a bit.
Shortly after lunch we found our way to the bar that inspired the TV show "Cheers" - The Bull and Finch Pub. Very cool! We actually walked down the very stairway that appeared during the opening of the TV show. Unfortunately the bar was full so we weren't able to stay for lunch.
A little later we managed to find the Hard Rock Café. It wasn't quite so busy so we thought we'd do lunch here. This was our first time at a Hard Rock Café...very cool place!! It's decorated with all kinds of rock 'n' roll memorabilia - original posters from Beatles concerts, guitars contributed by Eric Clapton, gold records from various artists - and rock music (old and new) was blasting!! Excellent food...Sheila and I split an order of Chicken Nachos as well as their Jumbo Combo. A Jumbo Combo is a sampler of various appetizers - potato skins, chicken wings, spring rolls and onion rings. Everything was delicious!
July 29
Today seemed like a good day to tour Cape Cod. Cape Cod is actually a peninsula (including some islands) of Massachusetts that extends into the Atlantic Ocean. Two bridges cross the canal that separate the mainland from the islands. And the traffic going to, and coming from, the islands is crazy. After spending some time just dealing with traffic, we were finally able to spend a couple of hours driving around Cape Cod. What a gorgeous place. Very quaint...and very old. Lots of (wouldn't ya know it) Cape Cod style houses! Also quite a few Saltbox style buildings as well. Something else that really adds to the charm of this area is the cedar shingle siding that you see everywhere. Stumbled across Kate's Fried Seafood and Ice Cream in Brewster. We ordered the clam platter. WOW, talk about a pile of food. We only intended to stop for a "lunch", but this meal will stick with me for days! And it was yummy! July 30
Not much happened today. This being our last day before we head home, we thought we would just relax. This afternoon we took the puppies for a stroll through Massasoit State Park. Nice park. Unspoiled wilderness with lots of hiking trails.Sheila and I had a little campfire tonight. Ahhhh...what a life! Why is it that a crackling fire can be so relaxing...and so hypnotizing?
July 31
Our last day has arrived <sigh>. We packed up and got on the road about 8am. The trip home was pretty much uneventful, and boring...drove for a couple of hours...stopped for gas and snacks...drove for a few more hours...more gas, more snacks...and so on.Another trip in the books, and this has been one of our shortest trips yet...we only logged 4,370 km. Quite a relaxed pace I must admit. Now, here I sit, having just wrapped up one trip and already looking forward to the next. As always, I'm sad to be home. I would much rather be driving down some unfamiliar back road of some far away place. Exploring unfamiliar territory, not really knowing what adventures the next day might hold. But instead, here I am back home, the day before we resume our daily, mundane lives of working for a living. Oh well. I'll just need to keep my eyes on the prize - our next adventure.
No comments:
Post a Comment