Last, but not least, Rhode Island

Our last stop found us in "The Ocean State," Rhode Island. I would never have thought that our smallest state would earn that title, but "www.statesymbolsusa.org" states that although the smallest, it has 400 miles of direct access to the Atlantic. It mentions that the only state to beat that mileage is Alaska. I'm assuming there is a difference between coastline and "direct access," because I'm pretty sure any of the east coast states, Hawaii and California can beat that number. Goes to show that you can't believe everything you read (unless it's written by me). Just like GPS's. George can choose to listen to those, but he's usually better off listening to me.

Regardless of it's nickname, I loved Rhode Island and want to return again and again. This stop had us meeting up with friends Tricia, Craig and Charlie, all of us converging at Meadowlark Campground.

Meadowlark earned high marks from all of us despite the fact that we were squeezed into small sights and backed up inches from our neighbors to our rear and awnings almost touched slides. Most of the people in our vicinity were seasonal campers who had been coming here for years and years. It turned out to be such fun with these friendly folks as we joked, shared food and stories.

Photo courtesy of ACR

We all converged on Tricia's and Craig's site to enjoy a meal of whatever we all had in our refrigerators. It turned out to be a great meal.

Charlie's site was right next to theirs and was eerily tucked almost on top of a small cemetery. There were less than a dozen stones that were difficult to read, but we did make out one dated 1776. I wonder who Charlie was parked on top of? I'm not sure I could have slept there and we never ended up eating dinner at his site either. 

A sandy beach was less than a mile from the campground and many interesting historical sights were within walking distance.

Right down the road was the Boyd's Wind Grist Mill. This windmill was the only "eight-vane" mill ever built and operated in New England. Sadly, it's only one of a very few surviving across the United States. I tried researching the others in the US and have come up with nary a one.  I located one in the UK and Germany, but nothing closely resembling Boyd’s here in the States. If anyone reading this knows of any of these unique pieces of history, please leave me a comment with its location.

Our nightly view from our bedroom window were the vanes illuminated by ground lighting. Quite a sight.

Steps away was Paradise School, which now houses the Historical Society and Museum.  It was closed for the Labor Day Weekend, but the exterior was a sight to see with its pale yellow wooden clapboard. A small sign noted the name and year, "1875."

Paradise School

While looking at the building I assumed the bell would have hung in the top cupola and wondered if, as in my own childhood, boys and girls entered and exited through separate doors. I was disappointed at not getting to see the inside so I I had to just imagine how it must have been for students and teacher so long ago. 

The next day found us headed to Bowman's Wharf in Newport where we spent the day strolling around, grabbing lunch and taking an afternoon Trolley Tour.

Bowman's Wharf

George had his eye on that big baby in the background. It was navy blue and white.

We found a nice place for lunch and enjoyed a great meal sitting a flight above a busy street.

Tricia and her date for the day.
Craig's fav football team was playing.

Me and my date.

Photo courtesy of ACR

After lunch we took a short walk to the Trolley station and hopped on for a one and a half hour tour of Newport. George and I believe that there is no better way to learn the history and secrets of a place than a tour upon a trolley. We were fortunate, once more, to have a very talented and witty driver/tour guide. He was an Irish bloke, a Newport native and a retired history teacher, making him a favorite in Charlie's book. This trolley, opposed to our last one in Bar Harbor, was packed full.

Our driver told us stories about his childhood as he rounded turns or passed places where he had played baseball, went to school, or told his best story, which he peppered throughout the tour, which was about Trinity Church. where Princess Diana and Prince Charles Jackie and John F. Kennedy were married. Her family was from the area and we drove past the farm she spent most of her summers. At Trinity Church, there was even a sign with their photo announcing that great event. Coincidentally, our driver's parents got married at that same church in 1951. He told us he's still trying to get a sign displayed out front in their honor.

We were all pretty excited to see a beautifully restored Crown Victoria. It clearly stood out as it inched through the heavily trafficked road. Look at those white-walls. It was a sight for sore eyes.

My name and the word "crown" go together so naturally; don't you think?

No bathing suits, thankfully, just a great "Destination Dinner."

A most enjoyable dinner on the beach.

A view of the beach and cove.

Always a friendly person offering to snap a photo

Capturing the sun setting on our new Jeep Wrangler.
Dis be MY photo.

The next day all of us, except George, hit the Newport Vineyards Winery and Brewery. My new "thing" this summer has been an interest in IPA's and locally brewed beers. Pale Ale's are so far my favorite, but I am new at this game, so my immature palate needs experience.

A line of wine enthusiasts about a mile long greeted us as we pulled up to the winery and we were worried we wouldn't get to participate in a tasting or get a table for lunch. Although that tasting never did come to fruition, we didn't have to wait long for a table and we got to taste whatever we wanted while sitting! 

Waiting on line before we realized we could just make a reservation for a table.
Photo courtesy ACR

The vines

Courtesy of ACR - my "Beer Flight"

Photo courtesy ACR -
The interesting cheeses that paired so well with the different beers. Ah-ma-zing.

At lunch, Tricia ordered a wine flight and I opted for a beer flight. We all shared a cheese board that contained five different cheeses that I've never tasted before. It had crostinies, nuts, fruits and jams as well. I've always known about wine and cheese pairings, but was astounded to discover that it works the same way with beer. And I thought beer only went with pretzels and nuts!  I began noticing distinct notes in each beer as I compared the cheeses. I can't say exactly what those notes were, but one was definitely citrus. This may be a new obsession for me. I'll keep you posted.

We all had a great last day, including George, who got to take his new bicycle out for a long test ride.

Happy for the month to be over.
She had a rough time,
but she carried on like a trooper.

Thirty-two days on the road seemed to quickly come to an end. We got to add five stickers to our map: VT, MA, ME, NH, and RI and Lucy got to add a sticker to her US map of Vet visits. We ate our way back and forth throughout New England and we were able to witness a different way of living, eating and talking. For example, "Hey, ya need more butta with that lobsta?"

Charlie, AKA ACR, also writes a blog and you can compare his notes to mine as he went into much more detail, especially with our trolley tour, sights and food. You can read his version of the day HERE!

Deep thought for the day: All good things must come to an end and all "ends" are the result of beginnings. Enjoy the beginnings, the middles and the ends. If lobster is involved at any portion, don't forget to ask for extra  'butta." ~ vc

Wolfeboro, New Hampshire

Most times, these "welcome" signs come up too quickly for me to snap a photo and this time I only got a "State Line" sign, no welcome from New Hampshire. The "Granite State," as it is known, has the Purple Finch as its State Bird the Purple Lilac as the flower. Their motto is "Live Free or Die," which was pretty black and white; no shades of purple there.

Wolfeboro was a relaxing place to call "home" for a couple of nights in a campground that was dark enough to trick you into sleeping late. The first morning, I kept waiting for the sun to rise and awaken me naturally, but only Lucy's meows of protest woke me after 9 am resulting in someone having to eat a late breakfast (paw tap, paw tap).

We visited New Hampshire on our way out to Maine, but we didn't earn a sticker for our map, because our "criteria" to earn one is to spend at least one night camping and do some sightseeing. This time, the sticker was ready to get affixed to our USA map! It filled up the Northeast States nicely

Entrance sign to campground

I booked Wolfeboro Campground due to its proximity to the town of Wolfeboro, Lake Winnipesaukee and for its price. George had some reservations as we approached the entrance sign. He was already in a "bit of a mood" after our GPS routed us to a dirt road that traversed up and down a steep hill. My Waze app was suggesting a different route, but we opted to follow the one that is designed for RV's. Goes to show you that you can't believe everything you are told. At times you just need to with your gut or listen to your wife. I must say, the sign gave me pause also.

After meeting the quirky owner, checking in, convincing George that this place was great and getting situated in our site, I took a walk around and quickly felt such a sense of  peace and serenity being among the tall pines. Looking upward or down, you could see the dappled sunlight playing among the leaves on the trees and the pine needles on the ground. One roadway actually made me hope that the path to heaven would look similar (see my photo below).

My vision of the "Pathway to Heaven."

Although standing there provided me with the rustic beauty of nature, magical sounds and smells and comfort, no photo I snapped did the place justice.

George was just happy to get situated in a location where sap wouldn't drip on the roof of RV or Jeep.

The next morning, George headed out for a ride on his new toy and the owner stopped by in his Polaris 6-Wheel ATV, which was his main method of transportation. We had such an interesting conversation about his, and the campground's past, present and future.

Back in the 1970's his father bought the property  and initially carved out 18 camp and ten tent sites. They designed it, laid the water and electric lines and built two large homes, an office, restrooms and a barn.

After his dad passed, every site was enlarged, sewer was installed and an additional 20 large sites and three cabins were built.

I was amazed at how many details were put into each site, such as a hand-designed fire pit with natural "fire walls." No two were the same. Each had a large tree stump to use as a table for your cooking needs. A picnic table was supplied as well. A rustic, woody, camping experienced was provided and it was all you needed.

Fire pit made by owner and his dad.

Notice "fire wall" behind

and tree stump "table" on left.

The problem facing this brilliant man and this creation is the fact that he's getting at an age where maintaining the grounds is becoming out of his physical capabilities.  However, this is his "home" and life-long project.

 It's sad to realize that this park peaked, flourished and is going to either weaken or disappear as times goes on. I was happy I got to experience his "piece of paradise" while it still existed. While far from a resort, this place was an obvious labor of love and an amazing result of hard-work, talent and determination.

"Camper," with his GPS tracker

Later that morning I came across a man walking his cat on a rope. I had to snap a photo of "Camper," a lucky stray cat who was found at a campground and became a special member of a new family. I was told he has a GPS gadget on his harness so his dad can find him if he gets loose. Great idea!

Our HUGE site. Fire pit was located far to the left, out of range in this photo.

The small, quaint town of Wolfeboro resembled an old time fishing village and is located on Lake Winnipesaukee. Lake Winnie, for short, is the largest lake in New Hampshire spanning 21 miles. We noticed a sunset cruise was planned for the next night and we were able to get last minute tickets. Turned out that a popular local band was playing and we soon discovered that we were oldest (and definitely most sober) of the bunch.

The boat circled the perimeter of the lake and we witnessed a rare sight - undeveloped lake shoreline. It was pristine, calm and a perfect evening. The view of the sunset made the inexpensive trip even more of a bargain.

Thought this was just too cute not to include.

Pre-cruise dinner on the dock. Weather was very cooperative.

Our cruise boat. We sat below, party was on top.

Ahhhh, the "piece de resistance".....the sun dipping behind the mountains.

Oh no...
George checking out another toy?

Our short stop in New Hampshire came to an end. We never did get to see or do many things, but what we did was quite enjoyable.

I would love to return to Wolfeboro Campground if ever in the area. I'd be interested to see if the owner is still there and take a stroll on that "pathway to heaven," but not all the way! A boat rental to explore the lake on our own would also be on tap. 

Next stop will be our last of our August itinerary, Rhode Island.

George took this somewhere in New Hampshire and I had to post.
Love my beautiful home.

Deep thought for the day: Home is where we park it. I love living an RV lifestyle, especially when it's spent on the road finding new places, meeting different people, and seeing amazing sights. Although in New Hampshire, I will defer to Maine's state motto:  "The way life should be."  ~vc

Reminder: if you like what you read, please leave a comment. 

Bah Ha-Bah, ME - my favorite thus far

The beautiful Penobscot Narrows Bridge is a long, cable-style bridge that spans the Penobscot River. It was majestic and powerful, yet beautiful and it led us towards our campground, Mt. Dessert Narrows, which was located right on the coast of Bar Harbor. It was a short three-night stay that we wished could have been a whole week.

The Penobscot River

As the sun set, a golden hue glinted off the trees making them appear as if autumn had begun early.

So much prettier in person; a deep orange-red sunset.

We drove into Bar Harbor for the day and took a 1/2 hour trolley tour around the quaint town. Our driver's name was, Jim Galvine, and interestingly, he was a snow bird like us, but on a much grander scale. Jim owned a home and had spent many years in Bar Harbor, which afforded us his personal and historical knowledge of the area and he also owned  a winter home in Key West, FL. Since we were two of just four on the bus we chatted about Key West since we will be traveling there with friends for a week in March next year. He gave me his business card and told us to call him so we could get together for a glass of beer at his favorite bar in Key West. I'm keeping that card in a safe place so I can take him up on that offer. I am sure our paths will cross again, because he drives a trolley tour bus also while wintering in the Keys. What a pleasant twist of fate, or as Charlie would say, "What are the chances?"

The Trenton Bridge Lobster Shack for dinner! Yes, for your doubters, George ate here.

So quaint and so immaculate. George was definitely "out of his box" eating in another shack.

I ate "Larry," #34. George had a Lobster Roll - it could have been parts of any lobster, even  Gerry, #13.

We headed out to Acadia National Park the next day and I found out that I was old enough to purchase a Lifetime National Park Membership. It was an exciting thing...until I thought about it a bit more.

The park was beautiful and even on a cloudy day the vistas were endless and breathtaking. I snapped so many photos, but after uploading them, I realized once more, that a photo does no justice to the "in-person" experience.

At Acadia National Park - always another tourist happy to snap a photo for you.

Each photo, whether taken facing north, south, east or west, gave you a different view. We were only able to do a little bit of hiking at this State Park. My long, steep hiking days are over, however, what we DID get to do afforded us an experience to remember. Acadia, the northern-most National Park is a pristine piece of America jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean and worth the visit. I would return here in the future to once more enjoy the taste of the famous popovers that are served at the Jordan Pond House Restaurant. I missed out on their "specialty," Popovers and Prosecco" on the patio.

Our trip to Oregon in 2016 and now Bar Harbor in 2019 has earned Lucy the rights to brag that her tail has been far west to view the Pacific and as far northeast into Maine to the Atlantic. She's hit some major milestones (and Veterinarian Hospitals) in her RV career. She is the quintessential RV cat. 

Our last beautiful sunset on a walk after dinner.

I'll finish up Maine in my next blog. It will probably mention "lobster."



Deep thought for the day:  It doesn't matter if we drive east, west, north or south...when the day comes to an end, we three are happy to be in the place we happily call "home." ~ vc

Wales, MA

Our third stop had us adding another sticker to our map and it was a nicely sized one too! We arrived after friend, Charlie and just in time to hook up and get dinner started. We will be spending this short, three-day stint together.

This campground had great reviews and was quite reasonably priced - both right up my alley. George had a list of, “You get what you pay for” comments early into setting up. The first problem being we only had 30 amp service and what followed next wasn't pretty - - difficulty hooking up to their confusing and overflowing sewer system. Oh well...I guess you get what you "don't" pay for.

A quick dinner of hot dogs, kraut, beans, and corn on the cob was an even more enjoyable and tasty meal eaten outdoors. Temps gradually dropping down allowing us to fire up our raging propane gas fire pit and witness the splendor of the rising moon. We didn't realize it at the time, but it was actually a "bad moon on the rise" predicting what would follow the next day.

After catching up with each other, we called it a night and heading inside as the mosquitoes attempted to eat us alive. 

"Uh, where are we? Why are we here?

Dad, please don't let them take my temperature!

Day two was a difficult day for us and awful for Miss Lucy Lu. We didn't wait too long before finding a highly rated Animal Hospital where we could get her checked out. Turns out, we were lucky, once more, to find a very clean and modern facility and felt confident in the vet who took care of her. She seems to have a urinary tract infection that was causing her quite a bit of distress and pain. Her frequent trips to her litter box and cries broke my heart. Daddy had located the hospital and drove there like an expectant father with a wife having contractions two minutes apart.

Lucy handled all the examinations like a trooper and was so well-behaved despite her malady and everyone loved her (like who couldn't). Over $350 later, they loved my Visa card even more. We brought her home and did our best to medicate her and keep her comfortable. She protested taking her meds, but Mommy tricked her with some chicken broth, and she was non-the-wiser.

We were so physically and emotionally wiped out after spending over four hours at the hospital, that George just grabbed some terrible take-out and we all went to bed early. Poor Charlie was on his own for the whole day, but never complained a bit. Sorry Charlie.

The last day turned out to be the best of the three.  We took a ride into Sturbridge Village and having both been there before, neither Charlie nor I recognized much of what we had seen in the past.  We got to make about 5 U-turns and got to see some interesting and some boring sites along the way, so not a total waste of time.

A train pulling out of the station in its hay day.

On the way back to the campground, George mentioned that he wanted to go to a restaurant that was an old railroad station . It was called The Steaming Tender. By the time we parked the car, we knew we were in for an interesting and informative evening. The building is a National Historic Site and every inch of it bespoke of years gone by when the main form of transportation was by train. There were so many items to photograph, that I only included the most spectacular and/or funny of the bunch.

The 1884 station itself was very authentic as you can see from the original photo and the ones I had taken during and after dinner. You can recognize the archways in several photos matching the original, as well as the entry doors and ticket booth. We all enjoyed walking around, each pointing out interesting old time pieces. Very scary for me to admit, but I recognized many of them, including (not photographed) the pot-belly stove that heated the waiting room. It was a similar design to the one I had warmed my hands on when traveling by train to high school. 

The 1909 Parlor Car. Used for private parties and Murder-Mystery Events.

Don't look at that man in the picture,,,,,focus on the background and then look at photo below!

We were sitting approximately right where this photo was taken. Curved ticket booth area no longer exists, but you can see the circle where they patched the floor ages ago.

Proud of his great choice of restaurant. 

Charlie opted for the Stout Wheat

Cheers - enjoying a nice Steel Pale Ale

Dinner was quite good and our waitress was sweet and dressed in engineer overalls.  The menu was varied so there was somethin' for everyone. During dinner a train made an unusually quiet approach, but then roared past the station to the surprise and shock of most the diners! Everyone had their hands to their chests and then we all looked at one another and laughed. I've eaten at a restaurant along side the Valhalla Train Station and always heard the train approaching, but not this train. It was kind of nice, because it made you look at all the people at the tables around you. It was a tremendously fun evening.

Leave it to me to be on hold after making a phone call.

Perfumatic.....it contained Brut and Old Spice

Charlie demonstrating his first paying job to youngster, George.

The only one eager to get on the scale. Charlie and I chose to look at other items of memorabilia.

Interesting and confusing plaque.

This is a photo of a train pulling into the station where we had our dinner.

Ticket Counter 

Stone platform where many people awaited their train.

I hope you can enlarge this photo to see the schedule. It is similar to how we travel by plane today; you need to arrive and plan to await your trains arrival to the station., which could take anywhere within a 2-hour window. 

Steam Engine 102 in the middle of the parking lot.

This is the newly refurbished Train Master Home that has been turned into a Bed and Breakfast. Future plans call for a horse and buggy to transport you back and forth to the train station. 

A bit more history of this beautiful Train Station. At the rear of the station, there is a unique and rare "diamond crossing," which allows trains to enter from north, south, east and west. When it was built, it was the third largest in Massachusetts. The property in front of the station has been excavated to reveal a former park and grotto. Attempts are being made to restored both to their former beauty, including using the flower and shrub plantings from the original architectural design. I would return here in the future to watch the progress as it moves forward bringing us back to the past.

Last photo of our stay here...sites 93 and 94.
We are in the foreground and Charlie is behind us.

Deep thought for the day: While we all enjoy the new, modern conveniences of life and depend upon immediate and precise timetables, the days when life moved by more slowly and less smoothly seem much more simple and easy. Technology has ended the hay day of railroad travel and it is bittersweet to see the things we have left behind along the way. ~ vc