June 11 - 20, 2001

Monday, June 11, 2001                                                                      Salem, MA

Today was not exactly what we had in mind, but it was still an interesting day.  We ran a couple errands this morning along with some library time and then took the Salem Turnpike into Boston.  This route took us by Logan Airport, which is where we’ll pick up my sister and niece, Theresa and Carmen, tomorrow.  We were told that this could be a tricky airport for us because of low clearances.  Driving by today, it looked promising.

We then approached the tollbooth to take the Sumner Tunnel under the Charles River into downtown Boston.  As we approached the booth an attendant flagged us away with the explanation that no RV’s were permitted in the tunnel.  There were no signs warning us of this restriction, so we were caught by surprise.  The attendant helped us cut across several lanes of traffic to take a long detour on local roads and bridges.

We finally found ourselves in downtown Boston at lunch hour, crawling through traffic slowed by the heavy pedestrian flow.  The financial district in Boston has very narrow streets … so does the rest of Boston, for that matter.  We inched on out toward Boston Common in search of a parking space for the RV.  We failed miserably.  We continued away from downtown and took the bridge over the Charles River into Cambridge.  We found some parking along Mass. Ave. and ate an ethnic lunch at Jerusalem Café before driving through the campuses of Cambridge College and Harvard University as the rain moved into the area.

We opted to head back out toward our campsite in Salem to run a few more errands, which tied us up for the rest of the day.  We will definitely take the train into Boston the next time we come here.

Tuesday, June 12, 2001                                                 Portsmouth, RI

Christine and I finalized our organizing this morning in anticipation of our guests.  We left early for the airport to pick up Theresa and Carmen, uncertain of what we would find.  Logan Airport is a mess with construction, and we were constantly reading overpass clearances to make sure we didn’t scrape our roof against anything.  It was very stressful as we learned that we would not have access for our RV to the terminal we needed.  I finally dropped Christine off with one of our two-way radios and made plans to meet her at a specific spot.  I then carefully left the airport and found a quiet place to park and bide my time.  I was out of radio range with Christine, but figured it would be easier to have them waiting for me at the curb than to leave the RV double-parked.  After an ample amount of time I went back to find them waiting for me exactly where we agreed.

We made the slow trip out of Boston as we all got reacquainted.  We found a campground in Portsmouth, Rhode Island that suited us well.  It even had a toddler-oriented playground for two-year old Carmen.  We grilled some chicken breasts and ate outside until the bugs became too much to handle.  I pitched my tent for Theresa and Carmen to share.

Uncle Joe showing Carmen the tent life.

Wednesday, June 13, 2001                                                             Orleans, MA

We got a pretty early start this morning since we were all now on Carmen’s schedule.  This worked out well since we had a pretty full day planned.  We drove on into Newport, RI to visit some of the mansions there.  Newport was one of America’s first resort communities.  The richest robber barons from the late nineteenth century all built amazing mansions to serve as summer retreats.  The most notable properties represent a period known as ‘The Gilded Age.’  There are eleven prominent properties open for tours, though the entire area is flush with stately mansions that are still inhabited.

We chose to go to the most significant property first.  The Breakers was the summer home of Cornelius Vanderbilt II, older brother of George Vanderbilt of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC.  Both properties were designed by Hunt, as were many other Vanderbilt residences.   The Breakers was spectacular.  The house itself occupied a full acre of land with well over 100,000 square feet of living space.  We were treated to a very good tour.

We chose Rosecliff as our second mansion.  This massive home is quite a bit smaller than The Breakers.  It was built by the Oelrichs, of the famed Comstock Silver Mine.  This mansion was designed for entertaining, having Newport’s largest ballroom.  The main rooms are available to be rented for events.

We capped off our visit to Newport with a scenic ride along Ocean Drive, outlining the peninsula.  I’m sure the other mansions in Newport are just as opulent, but two in one day was all our senses could take in.  We then drove up the peninsula to one of the area wineries.  Greenvale Winery is a small newer winery that grows all its own grapes.  We sampled some refreshing white wines and made a modest purchase before continuing on to Cape Cod.

We found Theresa and Carmen’s motel in South Harwich and relaxed with a beer before driving into the small town for a very nice dinner overlooking the marina at Brax’s Restaurant.  Then we dropped off our guests and went up the road to find our campsite at Nickerson State Park.

1) Theresa, Carmen and I are posing in front of our new house, formally named the Breakers.  2) An aerial view of the Breakers.  3) Rosecliff.,

Thursday, June 14, 2001                                                                         Orleans, MA

We got a slower start this morning and finally picked up Theresa and Carmen around 9:30.  We then decided to make a day out of exploring the Cape.  We drove all the way up to Provincetown at the northern tip of the Cape.  The narrow streets were a challenge for the RV until we finally found a parking lot big enough.  We set out on foot spending nearly three hours exploring the area, squeezing in lunch when we got hungry.  We had all been unaware of how gay the resident population is there.  Of the 3,000 permanent residents on the Cape’s tip, about half of them are reputed to be gay.  The overall population balloons to a congesting 50,000 in high season.  It boggles the mind to consider the extreme differences between high and low seasons.

After our visit to Provincetown we all opted for some beach time.  We drove back down to the Eastham area and settled in for some time on an ocean-side beach.  The water was very cold and the breeze was very refreshing, but as the afternoon progressed the fog bank rolled in bringing a real chill.  When it finally got uncomfortable for all of us we packed it in and went back to Theresa’s motel.  The heated pool there was a warm relief as we all took in a swim.

Tonight we ventured into Harwichport for dinner at a fun local establishment, The 400 Club.  We called the evening early so that we could get an early start tomorrow and take the ferry over to Martha’s Vineyard.

Pictures for our family. 1) Carmen burying Uncle Joe's toes.  2) Theresa and Carmen debating on if the water is too cold to swim.

Friday, June 15, 2001                                                                                  Orleans, MA

We got going early this morning and met Theresa and Carmen at 8:30 for the drive down to Woods Hole.  We weren’t sure how parking would be handled for the RV, so we wanted to allow as much time as possible.  We arrived at Woods Hole shortly before 10:00 to learn that I had to park the RV at a lot four miles up the road and catch a shuttle back.  I dropped the gang off at the ferry station along with our two bicycles and then went to park the RV.   I got back on the shuttle in just enough time to catch the 10:45 ferry.

We all loaded onto the ferry and initially took seats up on the deck until the loudness of the foghorns drove us all below, especially Carmen.  Once on Martha’s Vineyard we followed through with our plan to rent another bicycle for Theresa to ride.  We ended up renting a bike with a baby trailer attached that could hold Carmen.  Theresa rode my bike and I rode the rental bike, accepting the additional weight and responsibility of Carmen.

We started out from Vineyard Haven with a three-mile warm-up ride up to the East Chop Lighthouse and then lunch in Oak Bluff.  After lunch we got on a nice bike path for the six-mile ride along the beach down to Edgarton.  We stopped for some well-deserved ice cream in Edgarton where the ferry crosses over to Chappaquiddick.  Then we began the eight-mile return to Vineyard Haven.  This seventeen-mile loop took up our allotted four-hour window of time before we caught the 4:00 ferry back to Woods Hole.  We all agreed that it was a worthwhile sampling of Martha’s Vineyard.

Back on the mainland, we headed toward Hyannis to rendezvous with one of Theresa’s close friends driving down from Boston.  Chris is a teacher up there and planned to meet up with Theresa for the tail end of her visit.  We all met at the Cape Cod Brewpub in Hyannis for dinner.  Christine and I try to squeeze in a local microbrewery whenever we can.  Again, dinner ended our evening as Theresa and Carmen returned to the motel with Chris.

1) Carmen's ready for some bicycling.  2) Martha's Vineyard from the Ferry.  3)  East Chop Lighthouse on Martha's Vineyard.

Saturday, June 16, 2001                                                                         Arundel, ME

Christine and I got a very slow start this morning.  We squeezed in a stop at a local RV store for propane and a part I needed before meeting up with Theresa, Carmen and Chris in Chatham for a goodbye lunch.  In hindsight, Theresa’s visit went by so quickly, but we did so much.  It was a real joy getting to spend that time with Carmen, too.

At 1:00 Christine and I hit the road further north fleeing the heat.  The thermometer read 93 degrees as we drove around Boston heading toward Maine.  Tonight we’re camped just outside of Kennebunkport, summer home of former President Bush.

Sunday, June 17, 2001                                                                      Ellsworth, ME

We awoke to a gray fog today.  We drove through the touristy little town of Kennebunkport on our way by the Bush compound.  George Bush is supposedly in residence, but the fog was so bad that we couldn’t see past the security shack at the entrance. 

We drove on north through occasional showers on our way to Acadia National Park.  We stopped in Freeport, home of L.L. Bean to visit their flagship store before continuing along Coastal Highway 1 through the ‘Down East’ portion of Maine.  The hilly rocky terrain was very scenic along the coast around Penobscot Bay.

Before stopping at our campground just outside of Acadia National Park, Christine stopped for some groceries.  She came back from shopping with a big smile saying: “I like Maine!  You can buy beer, wine and liquor in the grocery stores here.”  She made a very good point.  The blue laws regarding the purchase of alcoholic beverages have varied widely from state to state (even county to county) in our travels.  Christine has suggested creating a traveling handbook and/or website that guides (warns) consumers about these varying laws.

Monday, June 18, 2001                                                                      Ellsworth, ME

We got an early morning start with plans to spend the whole day in Acadia National Park.  We drove onto Mount Desert Island and parked the RV near Jordan Pond on the Park Loop Road.  We then took the bicycles off and began our twenty-mile cruise around the Park Loop Road.  Any thoughts that this would be an easy trip were quickly dispelled as we pedaled up hill after hill.  In spite of the effort, it was a beautiful ride.  We even stopped to hike a couple miles out onto Great Head near Sand Beach.

After mounting the bikes back on their rack at the rear of the RV, we explored the towns of Seal Harbor and Northeast Harbor in the RV.  We then drove up the steep twisty road to the summit of Cadillac Mountain, highest peak on the east coast at 1530 feet.  The weather today was as good as it gets with temperatures in the low seventies and a high-pressure clear blue sky.  The views were intoxicating from the summit.

We stayed parked on the summit as we both showered and cleaned up in the RV from our earlier exertions, in preparation for a nice dinner in Bar Harbor.  We walked around Bar Harbor enjoying the afternoon light on the water and land around the docks before catching an ‘Early Bird’ special for dinner.  ‘Early Bird” specials are discounted meals to encourage people to dine before 6:00, thus ensuring a more even customer load throughout a restaurant’s serving hours.  Who eats dinner before 6:00?  Answer: Retired People.  That’s right … we’re retired, so we fit right in with our silver-haired peers.

When in Maine …  so we ate lobster.  We each had clam chowder and boiled lobster for dinner, capped with a slice of blueberry pie.  It was a fine meal and fine finish for a full day in Acadia.  We returned to our campground fairly exhausted.

1) Sand beach at Acadia National Park.  2) The view from the Great Head Lookout.  3) Riding up another hill.  4)  The view from the top of Cadillac Mountain.  5) Bar Harbor.

Tuesday, June 19, 2001                                                             Millinocket, ME

We planned a business day today.  We drove up to Bangor and I dropped Christine off at the library while I went to get the oil changed in the RV.  It took me a while to finally find someone willing to service an RV, but I was successful in the end.  We then drove north on a hot and muggy day to Millinocket.  This is the town right outside of Baxter State Park.  I spent a couple nights here after finishing the Appalachian Trail.  We have plans to get up early tomorrow and repeat my summit of Mount Katahdin in Baxter State Park tomorrow.  This is all provisional on good weather tomorrow.

Christine walked down to the campground office to check e-mail this evening.  She came back with a story that another camper had just had a bear look inside his camper.  She was lucky to not have an encounter on her solo walk.  Her return walk back to the RV was much brisker, as you could expect.

Wednesday, June 20, 2001                                                             Houlton, ME

We got a pretty early start today, but it still took us two hours to reach the Mount Katahdin trailhead.  Baxter State Park is so primitive that their roads aren’t improved enough to permit an RV to use them.  We parked at a picnic area outside the park and I bicycled up to the entrance to get some guidance from the park rangers.  I was considering having Christine and me bicycle the six miles into the park to reach the trailhead.  The park rangers discouraged me from this plan, recognizing that the bike ride alone would have been grueling.  Instead we took their advice and planned to hitch a ride.

We set out on foot and got a lift from the first passerby after walking about a mile.  Our ride took us nine miles into the park to the beginning of the Hunt Trail, which is what the Appalachian Trail follows to reach the Katahdin summit.  Christine and I didn’t start up the trail until 10:00, which was a bit later than I wanted, but still doable.  My memory of this 5.2-mile trail to the summit is skewed by all the circumstances around the completion of my AT thru-hike.  My trail journal was specific about the challenges I faced with the weather and a severe cold that I was suffering from at that time.  The rest of my memory made the trail seem manageable.  Clearly I have a very selective memory.

The trail climbs over 4000 feet in those five miles, which is a steep ascent by any measure.  We were feeling pretty well as we got started, only bothered by the intense nuisance of biting insects.  The promise of relief awaited us as we climbed toward tree line and the wind of upper elevations.  The emphasis here is on the “climb.”  Our hiking poles were mostly an encumbrance as we needed both hands to pull ourselves up the boulders.  We were slowing down considerably as we approached tree line and finally reassessed our objective for the day.  Hikers coming down from the summit reported pretty strong winds, so we decided to cut our hike in half by stopping at tree line for lunch and then descending.  We enjoyed a long lunch break above the bugs as we took in the views of the peaks to the south.

We descended gradually at first, until the biting insects welcomed our return, then we picked up the pace.  Back at the trailhead we were less fortunate catching a return hitch to our RV. After walking along the road for forty minutes, we were picked up by a truck with room for us in the open truck bed.  The previous five vehicles that passed us had no room available.  We got back to the RV and rested there for an hour as we both enjoyed freshening showers.  We then hit the road and stopped at a campground just two miles from the New Brunswick, Canadian border.

1) Our view from the lunch spot.  The big question being, "Is the view worth the climb?"  2) A waterfall along our path.  3) This is a Bunch Berry or a dogwood plant.  Email if you know the answer?  This flower has been very common in NH and Maine.  If you look closely, you will see that the flower is only the small part in the middle, the white sections are actually leaves made white to attract more pollinators.