Day # 24

We are home from our spectacular trip. After our Route 66 trip we had fun with a summary of trip facts. We will do that again for New England:

Adding Maine to our map.

Trip Facts - Just for Fun:

Number of days of travel: 24

Number of miles driven: 4,626

Number of states we visited: We drove through 6 states in addition to the states we actually toured, which were Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York. 

Number of new states visited: None for me, but two for Kaylyn and Miss Marshmallow: Rhode Island and Maine. 

Cheapest gas: $3.78 in Vermont. Most expensive: $4.15 in Connecticut.

Average mpg of truck: about 13

Number of nights in campgrounds: 15 sequential nights at 9 different campgrounds

Number of nights we ran the heater in the camper: 14

Average price of campgrounds: $37.65 (Oddest discount - one campground gave us 10% off because Kaylyn is a nurse!)

Amount spent on admissions and tours: (this is a nasty one!) $839, which includes three higher priced items, the Whale Watching ($118), the all-day bus tour of Boston ($124) and the cog up Mt. Washington ($124) for the two of us.

Number of days we had no lunch! 9 days - we were busy trying to get as much done as we could!

Forms of pumpkin Kaylyn ate: pudding, pancakes, donuts, whoopie pie, muffin.

Number of bakeries we visited: 4

Favorite day: in Acadia, the day we went Whale Watching, climbed along the precipice on the Beehive Trail, then had afternoon tea at Jordan Tea House. Kaylyn's favorite place we visited on this trip was Acadia.

Favorite meal of the trip: Breakfast at Polly's Pancake Parlor in Franconia, NH

In retrospect, a few of our favorite activities were:
- the behind-the-scenes Servants' Tour at the Elms in Newport, RI;
- the demonstration on how glass is made at the Sandwich Museum on Cape Cod;
- attending Water Fire in Providence, RI;
- touring the Louisa May Alcott House and Mark Twain houses because we learned the stories of the families who lived there;
- the changing leaves in the Green Mountains of New Hampshire;
- and the grandeur of Niagara Falls.

Oddest tour: Wilson Castle in Vermont.

The most popular girl in our party: Miss Marshmallow.

The travel book Kaylyn liked the most was New England, published by the Lonely Planet.

Our Thanks:

To Greg, who stayed home and worked to pay for gas and admissions and campgrounds, and enthusiastically listened each night as we recounted our day's adventures.
To my cousin David and his wife Rebecca who so kindly hosted us for three days.
To Miss Marshmallow, who held together and gave us a warm place to cook, sit and sleep.
To our truck, who with 220,000 miles on it didn't give us a moment of trouble.
To those who followed our blog and gave us positive feedback - particularly Mr. Marshall and Diane.
To our Lord, who has orchestrated our lives in such a way that this mother and daughter could spend three weeks together, marveling at His creation, and enjoying just being together.

Day # 23

I didn’t think I would have anything to write about today. It was just a day to drive west…

We left the motel room and were soon at the border crossing into Canada. Our plan was to cross from Niagara Falls, New York to Michigan through Ontario rather than on I-90 in Ohio – a trip we have done seemingly hundreds of times, and find rather boring.

I handed the border crossing agent our passports. He asked where we were going – I told him just across to Michigan. Then he asked, “What are you carrying?” Now how in the world do I answer that question? Kaylyn and I have been traveling for three weeks and we have all manner of stuff in the truck and trailer. Does he want to hear about our travel brochures… dirty laundry… assortment of zip-lock bags (how did people ever travel before zip-lock bags?)… towels and sheets… cameras… knitting projects… chocolate supply??? I hesitated, then answered, “Food and clothing.” That was enough, he let us through. Maybe he was watching more for my response than what I actually said…

We continued on. I drove, Kaylyn fell asleep. The truck was quiet, which was a good thing. Then I perceived a very faint, low-sounding “hummm,” and associated the sound with our rig. I immediately crossed lanes and pulled off the highway. When I looked in the side mirror I saw the source of the sound. The driver’s side tire on Miss Marshmallow was flattened, and it was smoky from the heat generated by the flopping tire on the road. Apparently it went flat rather quickly and completely.  

By now Kaylyn was awake. She wanted us to change the tire ourselves. We called Greg – mindful that because we were in Canada the cell phone call was expensive – who told her that we needed to call AAA, not consider changing it ourselves. He was right.

So, the blessings that we thank the Lord for:

-I heard the very soft sound and moved over right away before there was any damage to Miss Marshmallow.

- - we were right next to an on-ramp, so I was able to pull completely off the highway with an on-ramp lane separating us from traffic

- - we were on a hard surface at the edge of the road, not gravel

- - we had a GPS so we could tell the tow truck driver exactly where we were. Have you had this happen? Some years ago we were driving to Florida and suddenly a car went off the road ahead of us. The driver was OK. I grabbed my cell phone to call for help, and realized I didn’t have a clue where we were except on I-65 somewhere in Alabama. Fortunately a local person also stopped, and called in the location. When I pulled over today, I had no idea where we were except the route we were on… and somewhere in Ontario!

- -  we had a brand new spare tire on the back, purchased at Fleet Farm before we left, and mounted on the rim

- - we got an upgrade to our AAA before the trip which covers the trailer and it was good in Canada!

The flat tire.

Within about half an hour a tow truck with its flashing yellow lights was sitting behind us, and a kindly Mr. Roadside Assistance was taking off the tire, which had cooled down by now. He jacked up the trailer and struggled to remove the flattened tire, finally succeeding.

Can't get the tire in place.

Then the trouble began. The fiberglass body of Miss Marshmallow hangs quite low, with great modesty, and the axle is up high. Mr. Roadside Assistance could not get the new tire on the axle  Poor Miss Marshmallow, already suffering the indignity of being stuck beside the road, was now hoisted up to quite improper heights so Mr. Roadside could get the tire on. He wrestled, she held on to what little decorum she had left. The battle went on. Mr. Roadside would try a different approach, then stop to think again. Several times Mr. Roadside repeated the sequence of letting more air out of the spare tire, maneuvering the tire in a new way, and then sitting back and scratching his head while he considered his next strategy.

He finally decided that two heads are better than one, and called for help. While he waited for another truck, he chatted with us. He told us about a trip he had taken to Newfoundland to see his wife’s hometown. He also told us that he is the tire technician at his place of work, he doesn’t know that someone else will have a solution that he hasn’t tried. That was not encouraging!

Two heads are better than one.

After awhile another truck arrived and Mr. Roadside II jumped out. With two men working on the project success was finally attained! I teased Mr. Roadside that if he gets another call for a Scamp, he might not want to take the call! He agreed.

So Miss Marshmallow was gently lowered so her skirts were in the proper place and her dignity restored. We were on the road again, after a two-hour delay.

We arrived at Chandler and Brianna’s house in Grand Rapids, Michigan later than expected, but intact. Chandler is on a film job in Detroit, we enjoyed an evening with Brianna and her sister Kyla. Tomorrow we will be home.

Day # 22

Our last day of sightseeing! Kaylyn said she is glad Niagara Falls was our last stop, because the size and scope of them makes every other waterfall we saw on our trip pale. The rest were all beautiful. It is just the astounding amount of water and height of these falls is overwhelming.  

Base of American Falls, Bridal Veil to right in photo.

Our first order of business was the Maid of the Mist boat ride. We were each given a disposable blue plastic poncho to wear. Donning the ponchos, we stepped on board one of the Maid of the Mist boats, which depart from both the American and Canadian side of the river. The boat headed toward the American Falls first. As we got close the spray from the falls sprinkled on us. It is remarkable to see the falls and the huge pile of rocks below it. The falls have receded several times, each time dumping more rock at its base. The amount of water pouring over the falls simply boggles the mind.

The Maid continued up to the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. It stopped in the water, its engines running full force against the flow of the river to keep it in place. We were headed into the falls, so were surrounded 180 degrees by the powerful flow of the falls. When we looked to the front of the boat, we only saw white mist. To either side the falls, eliminating from far above our heads, poured into the river. The boat just sat in that location for perhaps five minutes, allowing us to attempt to absorb the scale of the falls. If you have not been to the falls, it is nearly impossible to describe the size, scope and power of the falls.

We returned to the dock, pealed off our wet ponchos, and walked over to the upper side of the American Falls. We just sat on a bench for a little while and enjoyed the beauty and force of the river.

Kaylyn had a conversation with her friend Esther last night by Facebook. Esther is a medical student who worked with Kaylyn at Interlochen Camp for the Arts last summer. Esther was all excited that Kaylyn was in Niagara Falls, she is going to medical school in Erie. So this morning, after she took a test, Esther drove two hours from Erie to Niagara Falls to meet Kaylyn for lunch! We had a long, delightful lunch at T.G.I.Fridays while the girls recalled events and people at camp and discussed medical issues.

Our next stop was the Cave of the Winds. Not only did we receive another disposable poncho – this time in bright yellow – but we were given disposable sandals and a plastic bag to carry our shoes. We rolled up our pants legs and our sleeves so as much of us as possible was covered by the poncho.

We took an elevator perhaps two-thirds of the way down from the island to the river below the falls. We walked on a wooden walkway punctuated by steps that took us closer and closer to the water. We had put the camera in a water-protective case, which was a good thing. We found ourselves directly next to the Bridal Veil Falls, its heavy mist covering us. It was hard to even look at the falls, the mist was so powerful. The mighty river fell right beside us, tumbling over huge boulders, pounding downward with a force inconceivable in power. It was hard to take pictures because of the intensity of the mist pouring on our faces. You can see how wet the lens of the camera case was in these pictures. We were wet! The ponchos did their best to keep us relatively dry.

In amazement I studied the simple stairway and railings leading to the falls. How did someone first build on the slippery rocks? How did someone get that close to the falls and manage to work on a wood structure? Then we learned that the stairway is removed every fall and put back in place each spring – it would not survive the freezing of the water. The young man who operated our elevator said he is one of the crew that disassembles and reassembles it and commented, “It is fun to do. It is all assembled with just nails and a saw.” Amazing. 

For our last activity of the day we viewed a film shown at the visitor’s center. Save your money. It offered lots of drama but was disappointing in how much actual information we were given.

We returned to the comfy motel room and heated up our dinner in Miss Marshmallow, who waited patiently for us all day in the parking lot. Tomorrow we head home. We are not at all tired of traveling, and will carry memories of this wonderful trip all of our lives. 

Day # 21

The first order of the day was to find someone to do an oil change for our sturdy stead. The truck has 220,000 miles on it and is running without a complaint. We are so grateful for our cooperative truck. The gas station where the oil change was done is across the street from the publishing house for Hemmings Motor News, a magazine esteemed by those who love old cars. My dad has subscribed to the magazine for years. Next to the publishing house is an old, full-service gas station (remember when someone else filled the gas tank and washed your windshield?) with a shop filled with collector memorabilia. I took a picture of the truck and Marshmallow in front of the business.

I had read that Bennington has an area with old Federal and Georgian houses. Kaylyn dropped me off and took some photos in a cemetery. 

Built in 1800

I had a great time photographing a number of houses. Each house had a sign indicating the builder and the year it was built, which is a great help to me for my architectural slide collection.

Here also is a photo of one of the beautiful New England churches. These classical white churches, built of wood, with a noble steeple, are found throughout the New England states.

We headed west into New York, stopping at a Cracker Barrel to borrow a book on CD. We finished the book we brought along, Caleb’s Crossing. It was excellent, and fun to listen to because it took place on Cape Cod and in Cambridge, places we visited. We selected two more books and already listened to half of one, a Newberry Award book, Moonlight over Manifest, while we drove to Niagara Falls.

 Tonight we are in a motel. The cheapest campground in Niagara Falls was over $50! We had the same thing when we were in San Francisco four years ago – we stayed in a motel because the price was comparable to a campground. The motel which was the same price as a campground had no place to park the Marshmallow, so we paid a few dollars more. We heated up our dinner and ate it in the Marshmallow sitting in the motel parking lot. Tomorrow is… sniff… sniff… the last sight-seeing day of our wonderful New England trip.

Day # 20 Homeschool Activity

When I was walking around the town of Brandon I saw a fire insurance marker on one of the houses. Below is pictured the house - look for the fire insurance marker. Then I put up a close-up of the marker. What does it mean? Rather, what did it mean? The story has to do with Ben Franklin!

Day # 20

We woke up this morning to a view of Lake Champlain. The couple next to us, for the first time on our trip, actually had a smaller camper then we do! They have a Little Guy teardrop trailer. The inside is a bed only, the kitchen is outside in back. Kaylyn and I like Marshmallow much better. We can sit in here in the evenings in relative comfort. We have our heater. Tonight it is raining outside, so the electric ice chest is consuming most of the limited floor space. Usually the ice chest is outside at night.

We planned to take the ferry across Lake Champlain and back this morning, just to get out on the lake. We drove to the ferry dock only to discover that it wasn’t amenable to trailers. Fortunately they let us circle around all the cars waiting for the ferry to get turned around, but there was no place to park our little rig so we could ride the ferry.

We continued south along the east side of Lake Champlain to the town of Hancock. As we drive through beautiful scenery Kaylyn always puts on classical music – which helps set the mood for the scenery. 

We followed the road through the Green Mountains to Texas Falls. No, I don’t know why a waterfall in Vermont is named Texas Falls. I can tell you that the narrow cascade of water, tucked away from civilization, was impressive. Kaylyn had to wade into the cold water, of course. We had a good time climbing around on the rocks, viewing the falls from every different angle.

We had pulled off beside the road because the parking lot didn’t have spaces we could pull through. After visiting the falls we heated up soup, made grilled cheese sandwiches, and sat at a picnic table by the creek to enjoy our lunch. (Note: We did eat lunch today!)

Our next stop was a town with a wonderful name – Brandon. Yes, the town, chartered in 1761, had the name long before we named our first-born Brandon. I had printed a walking tour of the town before we left home. Kaylyn sat in the truck and read for an hour while I walked around the town and took pictures of some of the buildings. A few were the age I am looking for – pre-Wisconsin architecture. Brandon, like many other towns and cities, had many buildings destroyed by fire at some point in its history. Most towns are primarily composed of 19^th and 20^th century architecture, Brandon was no exception.

The house pictured above was constructed in 1799. I found this addition on the back of a building over a creek. Don't step out the back door! And can you imagine how cold the floor is? 

We continued south to the town of Proctor to tour the Wilson Castle. Kaylyn set the GPS for the address and off we went. Her GPS seems to be on a “most direct route no matter what the road” setting. This is not compatible with towing an old lady. At one point the GPS had us turn onto a road that was a dirt road and had a sign, “no outlet.” Kaylyn caught the situation in time and returned to the highway. We are always mindful that we need a place to turn around without backing up!

We drove way out into the country, found the driveway labeled for the castle, and drove in. We could not see a building. We parked in the parking lot – we were the only vehicle there. Now we could see the castle through the trees. As we approached, we noted that some of the exterior brick was crumbling. A large winged creature stood by the front door. The entire scene was a bit eerie. I commented to Kaylyn, “This almost feels haunted.” She responded, “They do murder mystery dinners and haunted house tours here.”  We walked inside to find a gentleman, in his thirties, wearing a jacket and vest that looked outdated, but appropriate, I suppose, for a castle. A woman  wearing a sweatshirt was sitting by the fireplace trying to warm her bare feet. The inside was colder than the outside. We paid for our tour. Then… neither the man nor the woman gave any indication they were to give a tour. We just stood around. We finally wandered into a room, and the gentleman wandered in after us and started to tell us something about the room, but still seemed to not be giving a tour.

Master Bedroom with View of Mountains

Kaylyn and I couldn’t figure out from his clues whether he was leading a tour and we were to follow, or we were to wander about from room to room and he follow us – which is definitely not how tours are given! Eventually he started to lead us. But he seemed to wait for cues from us to talk about a room. He was very knowledgeable and intelligent, no question. It was just an odd way of conducting a tour.

At one point we entered the music room. He pulled out a harmonica and played a bit because it was the music room. He led us out on an open porch that had a breathtaking view of mountains. When we walked out, he donned a hat he pulled out of his pocket. When we walked back inside he returned the hat to his pocket. He was rather dramatic in his story-telling. He told us his father had impersonated Mark Twain on steamboats on the Mississippi, and that he had been a pre-school teacher. Kaylyn and I could definitely picture him acting in community theater.

After we returned to our truck, we just sat and laughed. It was the oddest tour ever! The castle is in private hands and needs much work. It is open for tours and also rented out for weddings and… murder mystery dinners. I think I’ll skip the dinner… I’m not sure I want to go to Wilson Castle in the dark!

Day # 19 Homeschool Activity

Ben & Jerry's offers a wide variety of ice cream flavors. Look at some that they offer. If you submit a new ice cream idea to Ben & Jerry's and they use it, they will give you free ice cream for life. Can you think of a new combination that you think would be good? Start with an ice cream flavor that doesn't have anything mixed in, and experiment. If you think you have come up with a terrific idea... write to Ben & Jerry's and tell them!

Yum!

Day # 19

Four factory tours in one day! Can you beat our record? Not all of them were long, involved tours… but they were factory tours.

We started our day at Polly’s Pancake Parlor in Franconia, New Hampshire. Strong recommendations from Kaylyn’s boyfriend, Chris Marshall, and his dad caused us to get up early this morning (for us) and seek out the pancake house. We were richly rewarded. Polly’s serves a wide variety of pancakes with an equally appealing assortment of fillers. We got two each of buttermilk with chocolate chips, buckwheat with pecans and whole wheat with blueberries. We also had some of the best potato pancakes I have ever eaten.

Mr. Marshall has been an enthusiastic supporter of our trip. A native of Boston, he has offered a number of excellent recommendations and enjoyed our daily blogs. It has been a pleasure to have him ‘travel’ with us.

We drove west into Vermont. The weather moderated as our elevation dropped. A sign of the gentler climate was that the barns were no longer one building united with the farm houses. The barn is now located some yards behind the house. 

Our first factory tour of the day was Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream. The factory they have set up for tours is not where the majority of ice cream is made, so tourists just get to sample an idea of the production process. And of course, we get ice cream at the end. Today’s offering was Americone Dream – vanilla ice cream with fudge-covered waffle cone pieces and caramel swirl. If you submit an idea for an ice cream flavor they end up using, you are rewarded with free ice cream for life.

The motor home in the picture is a Dodge Travco. It was first produced in the mid-1960s along with the Clark Cortez, built by Clark Equipment Company. The Travco and the Cortez were among the first manufactured motor homes. Our family owned a Clark Cortez in the 1960s. The other common motor home we would see on the highway would be an old bus, converted into a motor home by an ambitious individual.

We passed Montpelier, the capitol of Vermont. It is a very small state capitol! We drove on to Burlington, which hugs the eastern border of Lake Champlain. The lake runs north-to-south for 125 miles, but is only 14 miles across at its widest point. In the daylight we can see Lake Champlain from our campsite – not that we ever spend much day time at a campsite!

Tour number two was Lake Champlain Chocolate Company. The tour actually involved sitting by a large glass window which looked into the factory section and listening to the tourguide describe the process of making chocolate delicacies. Of course, the tour included chocolate sampling… the best part!

Tour number three was Vermont Teddy Bear Factory. This time we were permitted in the factory itself and witnessed the cutting and stitching of the bears. A few workers make specialized clothing. For instance, one lady sent them her old wedding gown. They dimensioned the gown, then, at her request, cut it up and made a bear-sized replica. For another customer they made an Irish dance costume identical to the one their daughter wears. 

The final section is the bear hospital. Vermont Teddy Bears come with a lifetime guarantee. If your bear should befall a tragedy, such as your puppy chewing the nose off (which Aussie did to Chandler’s bear - I had to make a new nose for it), you just send what remains of the teddy bear back to the factory and it will be repaired or replaced.

When Kaylyn was five years old our family traveled around this area, and we visited Ben & Jerry’s, Vermont Teddy Bear, and other local highlights. Kaylyn was too young to remember that trip – so we are returning to those places.

 Our non-factory visit of the day was to Mt. Philo State Park. We wound up a narrow, winding road, Miss Marshmallow following faithfully behind. We were rewarded with a view of the valley and Lake Champlain – a very different view from the mountainous area where we traveled yesterday. Today we looked down at green, rich farm fields which border the lake and purple-and-blue hazy mountains in the distance. The colors are not as vibrant here because the climate a bit milder.

The last factory tour of the day was of the Magic Hat Brewery. It was really a series of viewing windows where we could watch a local beer bottled and packaged.

 We crossed a causeway to an island in Lake Champlain to camp for the night. Kaylyn made another batch of her excellent soup while I did laundry. Greg reported he, also, had to do laundry tonight. He manages just fine when we are gone, except he really has an issue with doing laundry. He always says, “It is getting critical, I have to decide if I am going to do laundry or buy new underwear.” He is serious. He has been known to buy new underwear while we are traveling to avoid doing laundry!

Day # 18

Thanks to the innovations of man, we spent the day viewing God’s beautiful creation. Only an Almighty God could have created a landscape with such magnificence.

The view from the top of Mt. Washington was not accessible to the public until men built first a carriage road, then, in the 1860s, a cog railway. The cog system is necessary because this is the second steepest train in the world. The maximum incline is 31.4%. Coal-fired engines were replaced with steam, and today biodiesel. However, one steam engine still runs once a day, with the coal man shoveling coal into the fire continuously the entire trip up the mountain. We were on a biodiesel train.

Mt. Washington is reputed to experience the worst weather in the world. The highest wind speed ever recorded was 231 mph in 1934. The average yearly snowfall is 250 inches. The treeline – where the trees no longer grow - is at 5,000 feet. In most mountainous areas, the treelines start at about 10,000 feet. One hundred forty-eight people have died on this mountain.

We wore all our layers today. When we stepped off the train at the top of Mt. Washington, we were pleasantly surprised. It was cold, but there was not a bitter wind, the weather was clear. We had an excellent view as we walked around the summit. Ice coated railings and buildings. For the most part, the summit was a sea of rocks, devoid of all but a few wisps of greenery. An enterprising man built a hotel in the last century, the Tip Top. Visitors slept in bunks, and I’m sure they spent much time huddled about the stoves for warmth.

Kaylyn and I stepped into the mountain-top building for a few minutes. When we came out again, fog had descended on the mountain, and it was lightly hailing. I’ve heard it said in Wisconsin, “If you don’t like the weather, wait 15 minutes.” I think that applies to Mt. Washington, but five minutes is enough for the weather to change dramatically.

It is remarkable to think that 150 years ago men erected a railway in the terrible weather of Mt. Washington that continues to be used and improved today.

Several people recommended the Kancamagus Highway to Kaylyn and me. We drove that next. It was indeed spectacular scenery, particularly with the trees turning. All day I kept trying to imagine how to describe this to you. At the lowest levels, the trees are still green. Half way up the mountains, the trees are a riot of reds and oranges, still mixed with perhaps 40% of trees which have not yet turned. Toward the tops of the mountains, fewer trees are turning because there are more evergreens at higher elevations. The delight of catching the season early is that none of the trees are bare yet. The greens and reds and oranges all mix together to create something of a rust carpet covering the mountainsides.

The Kancamagus ends near Franconia Notch. Kaylyn and I hiked the Flume, which is a place where the river cuts through rock. 

Back in the 19^th century men came into the flume and somehow suspended a walkway through it. And that was long before shoes with rubber non-skid soles and modern construction equipment.  I cannot imagine how they managed to build that walkway in a gorge. But if they had not erected it, we could not enjoy the beauty of the flume. Without road-builders and cog railway builders, we could not have enjoyed all the beauty accessible to us.

And without heat, we sure would be cold in our Marshmallow. It is just above freezing outside. Brrrr…. We don’t like the thought of walking to the cold bathroom!

Day # 17

We drove into autumn. We left summer, and a couple hours later we arrived at fall.

It was sunny and warm summertime in Portland, Maine when we started our day. Kaylyn was dressed in a skirt and sandals as we walked around the town. In late afternoon, when we got out of the truck in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the air was chilled and we were surrounded by rust-colored mountains of changing foliage.

I thought we would be looking for cemeteries on this trip. Kaylyn loves to photograph old tombstones. However, on this trip she seems to have diverted her attention to a new passion – great little bakeries. This new fascination costs money and risks all pretense of maintaining our present weight.

This morning we visited not one, but two little bakeries in downtown Portland. The first was Standard Baking Company, reputed to be an authentically French bakery. Kaylyn got a morning bun and I got a gingerbread which had the perfect tang of ginger. We selected a raisin-almond loaf of bread to enjoy with our lunch. 

Bakery number two was called Two Fat Cats and reputes to have outstanding whoopee pies. I assume you know what a whoopee pie is because all of a sudden in the past couple of years they have become popular. You can now find whoopee pie recipe books and whoopee pie pans. This is disconcerting to us Forbes. We thought we brought Pennsylvania Dutch whoopee pies to Wisconsin, and here others have picked up the recipe and run with it. Obviously we were not entrepreneurial enough with a treat that was a specialty from the kitchen of Greg’s mom.

So, Kaylyn decided she had to try a whoopee pie someone else made. And can you guess what flavor she bought? Yep – pumpkin! She also bought a chocolate because she wants to make a ‘scientific comparison’ between the bakeries’ whoopee pie and the ones we make. What an excuse….

Between the bakeries we walked around the wharf area. I love to watch boats come in and out of docking areas. Portland’s wharf had a few large sailboats, a ferry, a tug pushing a barge and a huge cruise ship – all within yards of each other. Both of us were impressed with Portland. It had a pleasant energy and plenty of interesting shops, yet not a feeling of dealing with a crowd, even though two monstrously huge cruise ships were sitting in port.

Just to burn off a few of the calories from bakery number one, we visited the Portland Observatory. It is 85 feet tall, built on a city hill in 1807. It has survived four city fires, a number of hurricanes, a period of neglect, and has been reinforced twice. At each of the six corners, an 85-foot log supports the building. These were logs reserved by the British for ship-building, but eventually used for the tower. The foundation is built on the flat ground, with huge boulders built into the base to anchor it from the wind.

We learned it was built by a certain enterprising Captain Moody. Portland has a good harbor, but also an unusual challenge. To get to the harbor from the Atlantic, the ships must pass several islands. That is not a problem in itself. But if you are in Portland and wish to see which ships are coming in, the islands block your view. My finger is pointing to the location of the observatory on this map. You can see the islands which block the view to the Atlantic, in the lower right corner of the map.

During the 19^th century, when there was no communication between a ship and land, it was helpful to know when a ship was approaching. It could take a week to unload a ship, which meant dock space and hired men must be available. If a ship’s owner knew one of his ships was coming in, he could make arrangements for unloading before it reached the dock.

Moody charged each ship owner $5 a year to watch for his ships coming in. Each ship had its own unique flag, which Moody watched for from his tower. The illustration shows the various flags. When he saw a ship approaching, he notified the ship’s owner. When a ship was approaching whose owner had not paid him the $5 sum, he posted a flag which indicated the type of ship arriving, such as a frigate or a pirate ship! He also charged 12.5 cents to anyone who wished to climb his tower. 

We paid more than 12.5 cents to climb the tower – and were rewarded with a bird’s eye view of Portland. We could see the islands which block the view of incoming ships, the ships over at the wharf we had seen earlier, the swampy back bay area, and all the housing stock.

 Back at Miss Marshmallow we heated up the rest of the soup for our lunch, then packed her up to drive. We drove west... into fall.

Day # 16 Homeschool Activity

Zuppa Toscana Soup 

We love to make soup. Here is Kaylyn’s soup recipe, if you would like to try it.It is simple enough Kaylyn could make it in the camper:

1 lb ground sausage (regular or spicy)

3 large red potatoes, sliced in half and then sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices

1 large onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

8 cups chicken broth

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 bunch kale, chopped

freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (*see note)

Brown sausage in large soup pot. Remove sausage and set aside. To the pot add chicken broth, potatoes, onion, and garlic and bring to a boil. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add cream and sausage to the pot and warm through. (Do not boil) Add kale several minutes before serving. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Delicious!!

* If using spicy sausage, you may want to omit the red pepper flakes…unless you like eating fire! :)

Day # 16

This morning we reluctantly headed west on Route 1. When we took our Route 66 trip, we reluctantly left San Francisco behind to head east. This time we left beautiful Acadia to head west. Kaylyn thinks it quite interesting we have now driven on Route 1 along both coasts.

We are not ready to think about home yet. We have one more week to travel, and we are still enjoying all the sights, experiences and tastes of New England. The only thing we are looking forward to is indoor bathrooms. Neither of us enjoys the cold walk to the cold bathrooms, the cold showers (the water is hot, but the room is cold) and the damp towels that never seem to dry.

We are fine with our little kitchen. Tonight Kaylyn made a tasty Zuppa Toscana soup for dinner. The nicer campgrounds have a sink with hot water where we can wash our dishes, and we have a stovetop in the camper – so we can cook simple meals.

In the evening we each settle on our own side of the camper to work on our computers. Our beds are comfortable and we are warm, thanks to the wonderful electric heater Greg installed. This morning Greg woke up in a cold tent, camping with the Boy Scouts. We woke up in our cozy Marshmallow.

We have the truck well-organized. We brought along a couple of those plastic sets of drawers that are useful for craft supplies or dorm rooms. They sit at the back of the truck with our clothes. So when we need our clothes, we open the back doors of the truck, open a drawer, and voila! Simple. Marshmallow is too small to hold our clothes. She carries our kitchen supplies, bedding, towels and some hanging clothes. Greg is concerned she not carry too much weight, so we pack her lightly.

We departed Ellsworth, Maine on Route 1 west and meandered along the coast to Portland. I enjoy the towns, the architecture of the homes, and the views from the bridges as the bay pokes in and out of the land. We parked Miss Marshmallow at a campground north of Portland to let her rest. Since our last trip four years ago, Miss Marshmallow has aged faster than we have. When we travel on rough roads, we must be respectful of her old bones, so at times we are annoyingly pokey in the opinion of the drivers who are following us, I’m sure.

We drove to Yarmouth where DeLorme has their headquarters. They have a three-story globe on display in their building, and a map store to poke around. Then we drove into Portland. We visited Stonewall Kitchen, a kitchen shop which attracted Kaylyn’s attention, and poked around some other shops in town. After a stop at Whole Foods for soup ingredients, we couldn’t resist the headquarters of L. L. Bean. We ended our day with a bowl of Kaylyn’s good soup. 

Day # 15 Homeschool Activity

My friend Robin, who has studied such things, will explain to you that’ high tea’ is not a formal tea. The servants in the household would sit on high stools to have their tea, and thus the name high tea. ‘Afternoon tea’ is the proper term for a formal tea.

Kaylyn proposes you have an afternoon tea. Make scones or tea sandwiches or popovers. Set out your best tea cups, and fill a teapot with hot water. You will want to put a tablecloth on the table, get out cloth napkins, put some fresh flowers on the table, and make it beautiful. Put on some classical music. And enjoy  sippingyour tea! 

Day # 15

Today, using three different tactics, my mother thinks I tried to kill her. I’m happy to report they all failed. I should really let her tell you the story:

We are being a little dramatic here, of course. First, Kaylyn got me up at 6:00 a.m. I am a late night person, not an early morning person. Getting up early is worse when I have to go out in the cold to the bathroom and retrieve my cold clothes from the cold truck. We drove to Bar Harbor and took a cold boat ride. Then we hiked on the edge of a mountain precipice. Somehow I survived the day.

This morning was whale-watching. And it was a success. We selected a seat on a protected deck of the three-deck boat, and I stayed put there. We passed the buoys for numerous lobster traps and learned that Maine has 4,600 licensed lobstermen, each of whom is permitted to set up to 600 traps. This has been an excellent year for lobster, so the price is down right now!

Whale flipper in water

We passed about five dolphins swimming. Then, about thirty miles out from Bar Harbor, the boat suddenly slowed.  A whale spouting had been sighted. Each different kind of whale has a different shape of exhalation – spouting. The marine biologist who accompanied us immediately identified the whale as a Right whale by the “V” shape to its spout. We kept watching, saw his back rise up in the water a bit, and then the flipper rise up as he dove. We saw this happen three times over about a half hour period. This is remarkable because there are only 450 Right whales in the world today, and we saw one of them! They summer in the Bay of Fundy and move south for the winter, though scientists are not exactly sure where they winter.  Every whale has a different pattern on his flipper, which is how they are identified. They are called a Right whale because they were the ‘right’ whale to hunt – which is why they are now so few in number.

We then proceeded to Mt. Desert Rock where we saw the heads of probably 100 seals poking out of the water, just floating about the island. About 500 seals live near the island.

With three sweaters, hat, gloves and a blanket over my lap, I survived the ride. On the way back we got chatting with another couple, both pilots. The man said he believes he has flown my cousin David on business trips!

Our next stop was the hike. When Kaylyn read about The Beehive hike, which is not particularly long but involves climbing around on rocks imbedded with metal rails and ladders to aid the hiker, she was all excited. I was envisioning my recent adventure with a broken wrist, not wanting to repeat such inconvenience.

We set out. Picture crossing a stream, stepping from one rock to another so as to not get your feet wet. That was the first section of the trail – stepping from rock to rock.

Picture a path comprised of steps, with logs to hold the dirt in place… lots and lots of them. That was the second section of the hike. Now picture huge boulders that you have to find ways to traverse. That was the third section of our hike. The trail is marked with blue spots of paint the entire way – you just keeping looking about the area to find the next one. 

We climbed 500 feet from sea level to the top of The Beehive. The view from the top was completely worth the climb. Like Cadillac Mountain last night, it was land and sea and island and beach and lakes and boats and waves breaking on shore. And dabs of color as the leaves are starting to turn.

After sitting on the top of the mountain and attempting to absorb the incredible view, we continued – down. I do mean down. Straight down. Where it is not reasonable to step to the next rock down, the park personnel installed iron rods, imbedded into the rock, to help the hiker. I’m sure some people ascend the mountain on its sheer face, and descend using the steps. I’m glad we did it the way we did. I was more comfortable backing down the steepest sections. I don’t mind climbing around on rocks at all. I don’t mind ladders. I don’t mind grabbing hand-holds to get down the rocks. I do mind that all of this was on the edge of a steep precipice!

The edge of the rock behind Kaylyn is a cliff!

On the way down the Beehive we hiked up more steps to a pond called The Bowl. We sat on the edge and drank in that beauty for awhile. Kaylyn declared, “Acadia is my favorite part of this New England trip.”

Back down on the road, we turned and took this picture. I inserted an arrow – follow it and you can see people at the top of this mountain. That is where we were when we were climbing about on the iron rungs! Kaylyn estimates we hiked a total of about 2.5 miles.

I survived Kaylyn’s agenda for the day! We drove to Jordan Pond Tea House. Yesterday there was too long a wait to eat. Today we were seated immediately. We enjoyed a cup of soup and afternoon tea with popovers, blueberry jam, and the house tea. We each drank two pots of the tea, and just enjoyed the moment. We recalled that on our Route 66 trip we also had afternoon tea – with scones – at an English tea house in Carmel, California.

Some shopping in Bar Harbor finished off the evening, and we headed back to our little Marshmallow, delighted with our day’s successes, and reluctant to leave beautiful Acadia.