I like Burlington Vermont

If it were not for the horrible winters here I could live in Vermont. I see the same kind of lifestyle that I like. The people here are very active and physical. There is obviously a real appreciation of the outdoors. The government appears to be trying to serve the people. The people here feel real to me. This park that we are staying in is just wonderful. We have this marvelous view of the lake. We are just steps away from an awesome bike path that can go into the downtown or for miles around the lake. The park is well taken care of. Wow. But alas, they have really horrible winters here so I guess that I will stay in Oregon.

Today was another day in which we got up late and took our time. We got some chores done. We went on the scooters to get some groceries. We took a long bike ride. The weather was partly cloudy with temps in the upper 70's. We had a very few spinkles of rain but clear most of the time. We had a great campfire. It doesn't get much better than this. I am surpirised at how often we have days like this. We are just enjoying being in Vermont (or wherever we are at the moment).

One thing that Bob and I have noticed is that we are getting much better at taking down and putting up the scooters. That makes it much easier to think about using them. The folks in this campground are amazed when they see us ride by. One of the women asked me how long it took for me to learn to ride the scooter. When I told her less than two hours she did not believe me. I offered to let her try but she was not at all interested although she said that she would love to ride one. Hmm.

I am sitting here right now with the windows open in the trailer and listening to the symphony of crickets in the background. Bob is doing a crossword puzzle. I will read my book when I get this posted. Sometimes the simple life is the best.

You must see the Shelburne Museum

We have been to quite a few museums on this trip, but none is like the Shelburne. In most museums you go into buildings to see the exhibits. In this museum the buildings are the exhibits. We had no idea what we would be seeing when we started off this morning. We only knew that everyone we talked to said it was an amazing place and that when you bought the ticket it was good for two days.

When we got there we got a map of the various buildings with a short description of what was in each building. It was overwhelming. There is a little trolley that goes around the place and will take you from one site to another if you don't want to walk. At the recommendation of the staff person we took the trolley all the way around so that we had an overview of the area and some idea of what we might want to see. Good idea. There is just too much to see in one day. So I identified a few things, we got off the trolley and started to walk. We first saw the special exhibit of quilts made by people who are touched by Alzheimer's. Interesting, but not riveting. We then walked to the next building which was an exhibit about the circus. There were carved figures representing all the participants in the circus set up as a parade (it was 500 feet long and the figures were scaled one inch to a foot). There were also posters and pictures and general info about circuses. The building itself was a horshoe on a hill with a walk through underneath in the middle. (I don't know if the picture shows it well, but it was unusual.)

We then went to the train station. They had actually taken a train station and moved it to the site. There was an old train - you can see how huge - and an old luxury car - and all the stuff that you would see in the depot.

Next we saw an old paddle wheel steamer (the Ticonderoga) that used to go on Lake Champlain. I think this was Bob's favorite.

I can't keep track of all we saw. We saw several old houses that had been moved from their sites to the museum and filled with period furniture. We saw a print shop, a weaver's shop, a toy shop. There was an old barn that was filled with carriages - both private and public conveyance types. There was a general store with an apothecary, a barber shop and a doctor's office. There was an old school house. There was a pioneer cabin, a covered bridge, and an old saw mill. There was the most interesting lighthouse I had ever seen. (All of these buildings had been dismantled from where they were and then brought to this site.) There were beautiful gardens, some with things that would have been in the gardens during the period of the house, some with relevant flowers, like the fragrant ones outside of the perfumery. There were lilacs everywhere in full bloom and smelling just delicious - especially to a lilac lover like me. There was also a home of the future built out of steel containers. We missed the various art exhibits - just too much for one day.

In every building there was a staff person to tell you about the building and its history and information about the various artifacts or displays of how the printing presses or weaving looms worked. We thought that they were volunteers, but they were not. They were paid staff and they were responsible for knowing what was in their particular building and making you welcome.

The day was drizzley so there were not too many people in the museum. When we walked into each buildling we had what amounted to a private tour. I understand that on weekends or when the weather is better it is so crowded that you can barely see everything, much less get the tour. So we picked a good day and were very lucky.

There were many more buildings, but we had been there the whole day and just got too tired to stay and see more. We are now back in Honey, the rain has stopped, the sun is out, and tomorrow is supposed to be a beautiful (bicycle) day.

Burlington Vermont

Yesterday we spent the entire day doing nothing. We sat at the beach and read and enjoyed the sun. We drove around town a little - enough to know that there was not much there. It felt good to sit and take a break. Bob is still a little tired. I hope that this is not too much for him. The good news is that both of us slept really well last night. Our life is pretty simple when all I can say about a day is that we slept well.

We got up late this morning and really took our time. We were just going across Lake Champlain and thought about taking a ferry, but they charge you by the foot. It would have been a little expensive and the ride did not look all that long. Before we left another camper came over to ask about the scooters. Now that we do not have the tiny trailer, people are always asking about the scooters. They had a really small trailer - about the size of Fanny. It certainly is more convenient for getting in and out of small places and is easier to level. But we have gotten used to the conveniences of Honey. Maybe we will have two trailers at some point?

We drove really close to Canada, just a mile or two away. I did not realize how close we would be to Montreal. But we went across the top of the US and into Vermont. Interesting comment. The bridge that took us to Vermont from New York - all the signs said "Bridge to Vermont." The bridge apparently doesn't have a name. I wondered what they said on the Vermont side but could not see any signs.

We then drove through a series of islands - which were beautiful. Living here would be very isolated. No wonder Vermonters think of themselves as very self reliant. I can't imagine what they do in the winter. We stopped at the information center and this was one of the better and most informative ones. I think the woman had very few people come in and she really wanted to talk. I came away with a huge stack of brochures and more info than I could possible use.

We wanted to stay in Burlington because we got it on very good authority that the Shelburne Museum here is a must see. Burlington is a very cute little town. This campground is right behind a school and in front of the beach. Although this is the same lake as we saw in Plattsburgh, it is hard to see that. On this side the beach is much more developed and user friendly. There is a bike path that runs right behind the campground along the beach. It is a mile in one direction to the city. Then it goes for many miles all the way up to Canada. We took down the bikes and rode for about 8 or 9 miles. Great fun. Then we took down the scooters and used them to go grocery shopping. More fun.

We are here for three nights and there is much to see and do. The bike path will be great for my morning walks. We have a wonderful camp site. (Apparently Vermont is not closing its public campgrounds like NY is. Smart.) Burlington looks like it has some nice easily accessible restaurants. This should be a nice few days.

Through the Adirondacks

We left Cooperstown and really had no idea where we were going next. We simply headed for the Adirondacks. We took the most direct route that did not involve a freeway and just started driving. (On the way we passed the towns of Sloanville and Lawyerville. I had to laugh at both.) The weather was beautiful. The sky was blue with "designer clouds." As we got into the mountainous area I could feel the joy and the relaxation. I guess that I am becoming more of a wilderness person than I realized.

As we were driving it felt more like Oregon than anywhere else that we had been. It was beautiful. But I could not help comparing the two areas. The mountains here were much lower and the trees were much smaller than in Oregon. There were many fewer pines and more deciduous trees. In the lower elevations the trees were full green. As we got higher they were just starting to bud. But there were many many more lakes. These lakes are gorgeous. They are big and deep and blue. We wanted to camp there, but all of the state campgrounds in the mountains were still closed - some are closed for the whole year because of finances. Even the Adirondack Museum had not yet opened for the season. There were no private campgrounds. So we just kept driving.

One big difference that I noticed between here and Oregon was private property. I am used to Oregon where the mountains are federal forests and there is no private land. Here the Adirondacks are a state park and there is lots of private property - there are some summer homes and many motels, hotels, and lodges of one sort or another. It did not feel like a park.

We lucked into a wonderful place for lunch. It was a rustic cabin in the middle of the forest. We asked about the soup of the day. I made a face when she said "split pea." I have never liked split pea. She told me that she did not like it either, but that she did like this and she offered a taste. That was wonderful split pea soup. Yummy. What a find.

We drove straight through the middle of the park and wound up at the eastern edge in Plattsburgh New York. The city is on the edge of Lake Champlain - another big, deep, blue lake. (I wonder why the lakes are so much more beautiful here than in Oregon.) We found a state campground and after some finangling are finally in the spot. (The first spot they gave us was too steep and we could not level Honey.) The temperature is in the 70's and we are planning to have a campfire. Tomorrow, if it is sunny as the weather predicts, we may just sit in the sun at the beach. We may even take out the bicycles and the scooters. so much of what we do now depends on the weather.

I am reminded of what someone once told me about the proper people to tree ratio. This park has the proper people to tree ratio. I feel comfortable and Bob is relaxed and happy. Yeah!

Quiet days in upstate New York

Bob and I decided to just take it easy yesterday. I wanted to see if he felt better and it seemed that too much touristing was making him overly tired. So we just stayed here in the campground. As you can see it is beautiful. Yesterday was a good day to do this because the sun came out at about noon and it really warmed up. We even were able to sit outside for a while and enjoy the sun and the warmth. Bob used the time to do the prep on dinner for last night as well as for tonight. He really enjoyed that. So we had wonderful pot pies for dinner last night and will have chili tonight. This is good because the numbers on the scale were starting to creep up and we had to get back to eating good home made low fat low calorie food. The numbers this morning were better, but we still have a pound or two to go before I get back to where I want to be.

We also spent some time yesterday thinking and planning about where to go next. I finally have a plan. Lake Placid, then north across the top of the state to Vermont and down to the Shelburne museum (Have to go there because it was so highly recommended.) Then back down south through Vermont and into Massachsetts and across the state to Cape Cod. The rumors are that the weather is going to get somewhat better in about two weeks. So I made reservations for a week in Cape Cod at a campground right next to the National Seashore (I never knew that we had things like national seashores). Having a plan makes Bob feel much better. We are a couple of weeks behind where we thought we would be in the beginning of June but that is fine.

Today is chore day. I am doing laundry and Bob did his books. It always feels good to get the chores done. Then I want to go to one of the farmer's markets around here. Bob asked what I wanted at a farmer's market. I said that I just wanted to see people other than tourists for a change. Hopefully that will be true.

Cooperstown NY

The drive from Watkins Glen to Cooperstown was beautiful. Even though we were mostly on the interstate, it was countryside with a gorgeous view. I did not realize that there were so many areas in New York state that were unpopulated. Our camping information book identified many campgrounds in the area, so I did not worry about finding a place to stay. As we got closer, I read the fine print. Most of the campgrounds do not open for at least another week. Oops. I tried calling a few in case there really was someone there. No answer and no response to voice messages. The only one that the book said was open was the KOA. But when we got there the sign on the door said that they were closed and would not be back for several hours. The campground was completely empty. I tried calling. This time - success. The owner had to run errands and left because the campground was empty and they had no reservations. He sent us to a nice campsite and we took care of the money later. Apparently this weekend if you stay at a KOA on Friday, then Saturday is free. So we are staying here for four days.

We are about 10 miles from Cooperstown in an area that is very rural with many farms. The weather here has been even worse than we had seen before. Apparently they had several inches of snow last weekend on Mother's Day. It rained pretty hard last night, but this morning it was just foggy and misty. I went for a good walk this morning along the country roads. It was very peaceful, but a little eerie because I could not see more than a few feet ahead of me for the entire walk. But it did feel good and I felt safe.

Today we went into Cooperstown and went to the baseball hall of fame. It is another museum that is very well done. We stopped in the middle and had a great lunch at a restaurant that had been recommended by one of the owners of the wineries in Watkins Glen. The food was GREAT. But I am eating too well and have to back off and get back to eating just enough. It is hard when the food is so good.

Tonight we are really taking it easy. I think Bob has a little bit of a temperature and I want him to stay warm and dry. We may just stay here tomorrow and do nothing if he continues to feel a little off. Hopefully nothing is really wrong. I can't help but worry. If he is feeling good then there are two other museums in Cooperstown (who knew?) One is the Farm Museum - a museum of American farms. The other is the Fenimore (as in James Fenimore Cooper) Art Museum. There is also a revolutionary war battle site and a diamond mine. Wow.

I have decided that my standard for whether we do or do not do something is whether or not I will regret not having done it when we return to Portland. For example, if we are trying to decide whether to go several hundred miles out of our way to see Lake Placid, the question is - will I regret it if I don't do it. In this case, probably. So we will probably go way out of our way when we leave here.

Watkins Glen

The weather is still not great. The manager of this rv park actually apologized to me this morning. But - it is what it is and we are still having a good time, just a different time than we had imagined. Both last night and the night before it was down to 32 degrees. There was no moisture so there was no snow, but there would have been. It is supposed to rain for the next few days and then it may (MAY) turn nice. I hope.

Yesterday it was windy and chilly, but the sky was clear and the sun was out. We decided to drive around the lake and stop at a few wineries. There are about 50 wineries just around this one Finger Lake (Seneca Lake). They are all fairly new. Some are huge with restaurants and even hotels. Others are so small that the tasting room is right off the family's living room. The picture above is from the first one we went to which had a small tasting room and beautiful landscaping. The owner was very knowledgeable and informative. We learned a lot about wine making in the finger lakes. Apparently there are a number of new grapes that have been created by the Cornell University test farms. They add a few new flavors. Most of the wineries here specialize in white wines. I am not a big fan of white wines and could not tell from the brochure which ones had the best red wines. So I went to the liquor store (this is another state that does not allow the sale of wine in the grocery store). I bought a few bottles of wine (we drink enough so that I had no qualms about doing that) and asked the manager which of the wineries would be best for red wines. She gave me a list of five - so that is where we went. We had a great drive around the lake and bought a few bottles in each of the wineries we visited and learned a little more about wine making at each stop. We wound up with a case of wine and had to get pretty creative to find a place to keep it. But we were successful.

The communities around the lake range from towns that are absolutely dead (not just dying but already dead with streets full of empty storefronts) to very prosperous beautiful towns. It makes me wonder what it takes for a town to be so prosperous. It is more than just jobs because the towns were close enough together that there would have been work from one town to the next. No idea.

When we returned last night I had the same problem with my computer that I had had several weeks ago. I tried to fix it myself and wound up calling HP. Three hours later I had finally downloaded all the fixes that they said that I needed. (I had a discussion with Ruffie from India about how I appreciated his help and he was very nice, but this was not how I wanted to spend my vacation.) It is amazing that there were so many fixes necessary since I have only had this computer for 6 months. But it is wonderful that HP is so helpful in getting these things fixed.

This morning we got an early start because rain is predicted by early afternoon. We packed lunches and went to the Watkins Glen state park. The park contains a mile and a half walk along a beautiful gorge carved out of the slate by years of a fast moving river. The natural part was amazing. It was also fascinating about the man made part. I stood looking at that bridge, in the picture above, for quite some time trying to figure out how they got it built. The walk along the river and the falls is pretty steep and someone actually counted the number of stairs it took to get to the top. It is over 300. Bob and I thought we would walk for half an hour and then come back. But in half an hour we had not even walked one fourth of the walk. So we kept going. The steps were hard for Bob, but the scenery was well worth it. (At least that is what he said. It is different for me because the walk is not so hard. I just loved the scenery.) We just had to rest a lot. There were many many waterfalls. We even walked under two of them. (Reminded me a little of Silver Falls State Park in Oregon, but without the gorge.) Some of the views were spectacular. It took us one and one half hours to get to the One Mile Bridge. Bob was tired and hungry. We climbed to the trail at the top of the ridge which is straighter and more gradual. It took only one half hour to get back. I took so many pictures. It was hard to decide which ones to include. Maybe I will add some more in my next blog.

The walk was strenuous enough that Bob is done for the day. We are back in Honey. Glad to have Honey and the room to rest and relax. Leaving Watkins Glen tomorrow morning to go further east.