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Day 52 - July 8, 2019The path home is less exciting and yet there is always something new to learn. We’re spending the night at Lake Boyce just south of Fort Collins, CO. The Campground is next to a beautiful lake and you can see the Rockies from our window. The three of us took a walk along the shore and I finally realized why the trees are called cottonwoods. The seeds a disbursed by fluffy carriers that resemble tuff of cotton. The lake is very high but the cottonwoods don’t seem to mind having their roots and trunks submerged in the waters.
Day 52 - July 7, 2019We finished the drive through Missouri following the lettered roads. We started the morning on Route Z. It finally intersected with Route K- clearly named for me - and met up with Route M - for Mark. The terrain is changing with hills and trees giving way to miles and miles of plains as we hit Kansas. After yesterday’s marathon 573 mile drive we’ve stopped early for the night at the Cedar Bluff Sate Park Campground - my second favorite of the trip. The dispersed sites back up to the reservoir with cottonwoods liking the paths. We’ve parked under a tree and opened all the windows to enjoy the wonderful breeze. A dinner of grilled chicken, noodles and salad was de-licious.
Day 51 July6, 2019We’ve seen our awesome friends in Connecticut, stopped in Delaware to see my favorite Aung & Uncle and spent Independence Day with Mom. Bono was quite the hit in all locations Like all good things, this trip is winding down as we started our way back to Reno. Driving through West Virginia and Kentucky we are once again struck by the green. It was a humid 92 while driving but a stop at DQ for lunch cooled us off. We’ve stopped for the night a Koomer Ridge Campground in the Daniel Boone National Forest. The trees provide shade and things are cooling down a bit.
We had a great discussion with some fellow campers about the merits of different types of camping accommodations - what fun!! One of favorite things about traveling is meeting people from all over. Once couple was from West Virginia and the other from Ohio by way of Lake Tahoe. Hot dogs, humus , cheese and crackers for dinner tonight. Some days are just like that June 24, 2019There is something anticlimactic about the days following the completion of a goal. Of course, the visit with Zada for her first birthday was nothing short of spectacular. Those giggles and squeals are such a delight. The unbridled enthusiasm over a box or piece of wrapping paper is a lesson for us all to remember to enjoy the simple things in life. After the brake replacement in Manchester, NH, Baby Beluga has been taking us throughout New Hampshire and southern Maine. A lunch with grad school friends in Portland was the best. Although it was pouring outside we were dry inside as we enjoyed a seafood feast. How fun to catch up with Eric and Lola - planners of the eclipse adventure of 2 years ago. What do we love about New Hampshire?
Hanover- the bakery, the quaint town, the nearness of the AT, the opportunities at Dartmouth for recreation and learning North Conway -the mountains, the memories, the opportunities for outdoor adventures - hiking, skiing, skating, the affordability of housing, the views Bedford- the up and coming feeling of the town, the nearness to a community college, the gym, Trader Joe’s, the affordability of housing Portsmouth/Durham- the small town feel, the university town for recreation and learning, the nearness to Logan Airport, the restaurants and theatre in Portsmouth, the nearness to the sea Portland- the climbing gym, the ocean Do you have a favorite town? Let us know please. This is a big decision to be making Tonight finds us back in Hanover. The weather is beautiful and the water is now working at the campground. Mark cooked and cleaned dinner. We were joined by birds in the nearby house. Day 29 - Jun 13, 2019 How do you know you’re in Maine? The Lupines along the road bringing memories of reading Miss Rumphius? A large lobster on the roof? Our favorite bakery in Camden was missing this morning. Last time we were here Haley stole Mark’s pain au chocolate from the dashboard. We’re still enchanted by the town. We drove south to Portland and explored some of the area and found the climbing gym owned by a Hotchklss classmate of Andrea’s. On to a campsite at Winslow Memorial Park in Freeport on the ocean - in the rain - for a “homemade” dinner of mashed potatoes with hot dogs, mushrooms and corn - a bit of comfort food on this damp night. Looking forward to clearing skies and a beautiful view in the am
Day 28 - June 12, 2019Driving through the point of entry always brings a smile and sends a shiver down my spine. We had such a wonderful time in Canada and can’t wait to plan another trip. We drove the coast of New Brunswick today and stopped at Dipper Harbor to see the tide move out to the Bay of Fundy. Seafood beckoned for lunch and we couldn’t resists Ossie’s for our last Canadian meal. Stuffed, we continued to tonight’s campground in Camden Maine where we finished the map on Baby Beluga. Celebrate!!!
Day 27 - June 11, 2019We were up at 4:30am to see the sunrise over the water. The sky became pink and then orange as the sun crept toward the horizon. There was nothing to see but water and no one else awake. Such a special experience. We walked the beach and saw the nesting swallows with small dens in the cliff just below the turf. The drive from PEI to New Brunswick took us over the Confederation Bridge but not before we spotted Cow’s - the best ice cream in the world. We HAD to stop. I had a scoop of cookie dough and Mark had a scoop of blueberry and one of chocolate (of course.). Verdict — not as good as Steve’s in Kent or Baldacio’s in Danbury, but much better than Baskin Robbins (no REAL ice cream) in Reno. Over the bridge we headed to Fundy National Park to see the tides that can change by 46 feet. As we drove we noticed deep trenches and fields on the side of the road and realized that the tide was out and these beds were temporarily empty. On a whim we stopped at Hopewell Rocks and took Bono down to the beach. We joined a tour where Pierre told us stories of the rocks as we passed them by. With low tide, we could see the rocks balanced on narrowed stems. Each formation had a name - elephant, lover’s rock, pig, whale - and the ones on thin bases were dubbed flower pots. The best part of the tour was seeing the peregrine falcon. First he was pointed out as sitting high up on a birch tree near the top of the rocks. We could hear him calling to his mate. Suddenly he soared overhead. Soooo magnificent. It’s raining tonight but we had such a lovely day. Once again we’re tucked tight inside our metal tent and staying dry until we dash to the bathrooms.
Day 26 - June 11, 2019There was an air of excitement this morning as we packed up the van to drive the Camp Breton Highlands. The winding roads and scenic pullouts displayed beautiful views of the Bay A special treat awaited us as we entered the town of Cheticamp - a boulangerie (bakery). The aroma when we entered was heavenly — breads, croissants, muffins, scones — and we bought a few of each for breakfast! The excitement of the day continued to build as we drove south and then west to the very that would bring us to our final prize - Prince Edwards Island. The trip over was delightful and we burst into smiles when drove off the ferry. You see, we set a goal four years ago to take Baby Beluga to all the drivable states in the United States along with all the drivable provinces and territories in Canada. The pleasure of this day was amplified when we found ourselves at the Cavendish Campground in the PEI National Park. We celebrated with the absolutely best meal ever at the Blue Mussel Café in North Rustico The ending to a perfect day was the sunset over the ocean water that we can see from our campsite.
Day 25, June 9, 2019It’s a seven hour ferry from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia. Because it was daytime we chose to not get a cabin but instead enjoyed the comfy seats and fun conversations with other travelers. The chatter was mostly about icebergs seen during their visit. Once we rescued Bono from the van - no dogs allowed on deck - we began the drive to Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Oops, another road ended so we took a short ferry over to the peninsula that houses the park. Hooray, the campground near Ingonish Beach is open and there’s a site for us!
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