Map Tracks

Trip Summary

This trip ended sooner than expected because of some health issues.  The 17 days of travel we did have were enjoyable and memorable because of the people we visited and met on the way.

Travel Trivia

We drove 2,507 miles (2,236 miles towing) and got 14.4 mpg on this trip.

The total for the past 12 years is 105,455 miles driven (89,904 miles of towing) and 415 trailer set-ups.

Expectations

We expected to visit Dick's brother and sister in Vermont and then travel down the east coast to Florida (visiting family and friends along the way) and return home.  The vision was too optimistic.

Special Sights & Experiences

* Visiting with brother Dave and sister Bobbie in Milton, VT.

* Having a 2nd visit to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park.

* Visiting the Maine Maritime Museum at Bath, ME.

* Rainbow Sweets Bakery & Cafe in Marshfield, VT ... and owner/actor Bill.

* Getting to return to three campgrounds we've stayed in before.

* Dot's Restaurant in Wilmington, VT., server Lisa, picturesque town.

* We met some delightful strangers.

* Beautiful weather ... not too hot, not too cold, not too rainy.

Disappointments

* We came home too soon.

Problems

* Fresh water tank leaking again.

* Dome shade (stained and bent) needs to be replaced.

Our Next Trip

No decision yet.

Day 17 - Westfield, NY to Columbus, OH

Home again.

The Route

We travelled west one exit, where the NY Thruway ends, and then continued on I-90 to Cleveland.  I-271 took us around Cleveland to I-71.  From there we went south on I-71, west on I-670 in Columbus and exited at Neil Ave.

About the Day

We had rain late last night.  No thunder and no lightning, just a downpour.

The morning was sunny and clear ... a nice way to begin our last day on the road.

Along the Way

We left at 10:20 am and arrived home at 5:00pm.  It took another 2 hours to unload and return the trailer to the storage lot.

Traffic was moderate.  The weather became increasingly overcast.  We had intermittent light showers from Mentor to Columbus.

A chance encounter with an older (yes, older than us) couple during our lunch stop was the highlight of the day.  The gentleman (a very alert  WW-II veteran) noticed that Carol had left her purse in the restroom and brought it to her attention.  That opened the door to extended introductions and storytelling.  Nice folks.  Politics never surfaced.  What a great lunch!

Travel Trivia

GPS estimate = 266 miles, odometer actual = 268 miles.  Yep, we left the route to have lunch at a Bob Evans restaurant in Mentor, OH.

The Campground

Wow!  It looks like and feels just like home.

Tomorrow

Begin the journey to our new, normal life.

Day 16 - Verona, NY to Westfield, NY

Easy route, nice day, and a solid OSU football win.

The Route

I-90 (NY Thruway) all the way.

About the Day

The weather couldn't figure out what to do.  Would it be overcast, partly cloudy, partly sunny or sunny?  It teased us with some of each.  The temperature reached 70°.

OSU beat Cincinnati 42-0.

Along the Way

Peeks along the way ...

11:13 am - west of Syracuse

1:43 pm - passing through Buffalo

2:39 pm - approaching Westfield

6:16 pm - side-trip to Mayville

 Barcelona Beach Scenes ...

Barcelona is just a few miles from
our campground.

Carol found some beach glass.

Travel Trivia

GPS estimate = 236 miles, odometer actual = 236 miles ... BINGO!

We find it curious that a hurricane seems to find us when we explore the east coast.  In 2011 it was Hurricane Irene.  We left Kennebunkport in a hurry and ended up weathering the storm by hunkering down at The Villages in Verona for three days.  This year it was Hurricane Dorian.  Though not nearly as threatening, we left Bath knowing the storm was coming up the east coast.  We stayed at The Villages this time as well.

The Campground

Been here, stayed here before ... 16 days ago.  
We're in site 69.  It's pretty short.  Everything works well.

Tomorrow

We'll be home by the late afternoon.

Day 15 - Brattleboro, VT to Verona, NY

Nice day, nice drive.

The Route

The first half of the trip gave us many scenic views as VT-9 wound up, down and around the White and Green Mountains.  We coasted down a 3 mile, 6% grade during one descent ... whee!

We took US-5 from the campground to Brattleboro where we picked up VT-9, then VT-279, NY-7 and I-87S near Rome.  We connected with the NY Thruway at Albany and followed it to the Verona exit.

About the Day

It was mostly sunny today.  The temperature struggled to reach the mid-70s.

Along the Way

VT-9:

Wilmington, VT is an attractive town half-way between Brattleboro and the NY state line.

They provided convenient off-highway parking.

Most of today's treats seemed to involve eating.  We stopped at Dot's Restaurant in Wilmington for a late breakfast.  The menu was extensive, our selections were excellent and our server (Lisa) was a type-A delight.

Dot's Restaurant

Carol really enjoyed the cinnamon
 french toast with blueberries

And then, there was the not-usual campground fare in Verona.  The many restaurants at the Turning Stone Casino and Resort were tempting after a long day of driving.  We selected the Season Harvest Buffet.  It came with every entree you could imagine and another delightfully-fun server (Mary).

Travel Trivia

GPS estimate = 194 miles, odometer actual = 196 miles.

The Campground

The Villages at Turning Stone is one of our favorite campgrounds.  We stayed here on two occasions in 2011.  It's a popular, well-run enterprise of the Turning Stone Casino and Resort. Carol got the last available site when she called to make a reservation yesterday.

Site 125

Peaceful surroundings

 Tomorrow

We continue the drive across New York toward Ohio.  We're not sure where we'll stop.

Day 14 - Boothbay, ME to Brattleboro, VT

The Route

We started out on ME-27N from Boothbay  to US-1, then SW on US-1 passed Wiscasset and Bath to I-295 at Brunswick.  SW on I-295 passed Freeport and Yarmouth to Portland where we got onto I-95 and followed it to Kittery at the NH state line.  We headed west on NH-101 near Exeter and followed it to Keene where we picked up NH-9.  We followed NH-9 and VT-9 to Brattleboro and went north on US-5 to the campground.  We're grateful for the GPS.

About the Day

This was a beautiful day for a 239 mile drive.  It was sunny and calm, in the high 60s.  We left at 10am and arrived at 4:30pm.  Traffic was moderate on I-95 and light elsewhere.

Along the Way

Pulling out

Approaching Wiscasset

USN Seabees Bridge

This steel arch bridge over the Connecticut River connects Chesterfield, NH and Brattleboro, VT.  The first bridge was built in 1937.  It received the AISC Annual Award for Merit for Most Beautiful Steel Bridge, Class C.  The bridge on the right was built in 2003 because of safety concerns for the old bridge.

The Marina restaurant along the Connecticut River in Brattleboro was recommended by Kat, the campground receptionist.  She has good taste in restaurants.  Carol had a delightful lobster-mac-n-cheese dinner.  Dick had a flatiron steak with wild rice and fresh green beans.

Connecticut River flows quietly by the diners

Sunset from the dining deck.

They've added a few river attractions.

Travel Trivia

GPS estimate = 227 miles, odometer actual = 239 miles.  Not bad considering we had a bridge out detour and an unsuccessful restaurant search.

The Campground

The Brattleboro North KOA Journey campground is OK.  There are 4 other Airstreams here.  The most we've seen anywhere on this trip.

Interestingly, there's another campground just a mile south called Kampfires Campground.  We stopped there thinking it was the KOA because of their use of an initial "K" in Kampfire.  They had no reservation for us, but quickly relieved our embarrassment by letting us know "It happens a lot."

Tomorrow

We'll make it as far as The Villages at Verona, NY.

Day 13 - Boothbay, ME (Day 3)

Plans changed a lot today.  We stayed on so we could visit the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath and made plans to head home because Dick's not feeling well.

The Route

We drove 20 miles to Bath and returned.

About the Day

It was overcast and cool (mid-60s) most of the day.  The sun broke through a few times.  We had a rain shower in the late afternoon.

Along the Way

The drive to Bath was short and pleasant.  This restaurant suggests lobster is a big deal in Maine.

Bath is known as "The City of Ships".  Shipbuilding began there in 1743.

Downtown Bath

Museum

It takes a lot of lifting to get things done here.

Models
The detail on these full and half-hull models was captivating.

The ship at the end of the wharf is a stealth destroyer.  It's the last of three to be built at a cost of $7.5 billion each.

Tomorrow

We're heading for the Brattleboro North KOA in Vermont tomorrow.