Peaches!

Posted on August 27, 2016 by Marsha Brecht

The Ontario, Canada, Winona Peach Festival is on this weekend just across the highway from where we are camped. So how could we not go check it out?

We went early enough to be one of the first attendees there. So glad we did because it quickly filled up with thousands of people. There was a nice arts & crafts show, a commercial area, pony rides and rock climbing for the kids. And a very nice Midway and a car show.

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Winona Peach Festival

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A Peach of a Car Show

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A Peachy Couple

The tent for the peach sundaes had the longest line of the whole event.

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Peach Sundaes

What would a peach festival be without peach pies!

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Peach Pies

Poutine!  French fries and cheese covered with gravy. It’s a Canadian thing. It’s good!

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Poutine

Can’t leave without having some of that pie.

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mmmmm pie 🙂

 

And of course buy your peaches before you leave.

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Tree Ripened Peaches

  • Admission: Free
  • Parking:  $1
Posted in August, Canada, Daily Post | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

More Niagara Falls

Posted on August 26, 2016 by Marsha Brecht

A rainstorm rolled through last night, but nothing serious. However it is still hot and humid today. It should start cooling off soon, don’t you think?

Even though we were just at Niagara Falls recently we wanted to see it again. This time we had just the car, not the RV, so we found the parking lot down by the falls and parked there.

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Niagara Falls

Good to see that it has not changed since the last time we saw it. We had lunch at the restaurant above the Visitor Center with a view of it all.

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Niagara Falls

After lunch we just walked around and took more pictures and went back home. One thing that caught my eye was we walked back to the car was this Falls Incline Plaza. All the hotels, casinos, shopping, and more tourist attractions are up hill from the Falls area. If you don’t want to drive, take a bus, or walk up that way then for $2.75 Canadian you can hitch a ride up there this way.

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Falls Incline Plaza

I checked the exchange rate today and it was $1.30.  You can use American dollars to buy things here, but you won’t necessarily get that exchange rate, if you get it at all. So don’t pay with American cash. There are places you can convert your US$ for a fee. But the best way to pay is with our credit card. My CC company (CapitalOne) makes the conversion with the correct exchange rate and there is no fee.

  • Parking:  $22     ($17.06 US)
  • Lunch:  $58.48  ($45.35 US)
  • Misc:     $22.48  ($17.44 US)
Posted in August, Canada, Daily Post | Tagged | Leave a comment

Niagara on the Lake

Posted on August 25, 2016 by Marsha Brecht

Canada’s prettiest town and a National Historic Site, Niagara on the Lake is known for its heritage, culture, and wineries. An historical marker says the town was captured by American forces in May 1813, which burnt it during their withdrawal in December 1813.

If you have allergies you probably don’t want to visit here. There are beautiful blooming flowers everywhere. It smells so sweet. And there are some cool restaurants, candy and ice cream shops, gift shops, and stores too. We had lunch and spent a couple hours exploring there today.

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Prince of Wales Hotel


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Niagara on the Lake


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So Pretty!

The clock tower in the center of the street is dedicated to the memory of Canadians who died in the service of their country.

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Niagara on the Lake

More nice shops. It was hot and humid but that didn’t keep people away.

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Niagara on the Lake

A few Carriage rides tour the town.

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Niagara on the Lake

There were lots of people in the park. The kids are having fun in the wading pool at Simcoe Park.

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Simcoe Park, Niagara on the Lake

A few blocks away is another lovely park, Queen’s Royal Park. Here you can see where Lake Ontario and the Niagara River meet. Across the river, on the American side, is the Old Fort Niagara.

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Old Fort Niagara, USA

A nice walking path along the shore. Lake Ontario

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Queen’s Royal Park

After enjoying the town we drove a little way down the Niagara Parkway in the direction of Niagara Falls. We stopped to view the naturally occurring whirlpool on the Niagara River. An Aero Car is available here if you want to take a ride across and back. We did not do that, maybe the next time we are here. It is a popular attraction.

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Whirlpool Aero Car

Our last stop of the day was to see Brock’s Monument, a memorial to Major General Sir Isac Brock commander of British forces in Upper Canada at the beginning of the War of 1812. He died near here during an engagement between British and American forces where they took back the hill from the Americans, and took 958 prisoners. Some say it’s also Canada’s way of reminding everyone that the US failed to take over Canada during the War of 1812.

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Brock’s Monument

We just realized we have seen all five of the Great Lakes this summer. Cool.

  • Gasoline:   47.523 L @ $0.989/L = $47 CAN    ($36.44 US)
  • Parking:   $2.50 CAN   ($1.94 US)
  • Lunch:     $19.93 CAN  ($15.45 US)
Posted in August, Canada, Daily Post | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fifty Point

Posted on August 24, 2016 by Marsha Brecht

We only drove 155 miles east from Sarnia to Fifty Point Conservation Area & Marina on Lake Ontario. We’ll be here until Sunday. We have a spot with 50 amp electric (they call it hydro) but no shade. Currently there are several unoccupied spaces in this area. There is also an older part with lots of shade, but only 30 amp, which was full up. This will do just fine and we’ll be here until Sunday morning.

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Fifty Point Campground

Fifty Point is in the middle of an internationally recognized Important Birding Area as part of it juts out into Lake Ontario making it a good spot to watch for migrating waterfowl and sea birds. We did meet a few birdwatchers on our walk around the park.

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Lake Ontario

The park has two beaches, one that is pet friendly and a separate one where no dogs are allowed.

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A Nice Clean Swimming Beach

A small lighthouse marks the entrance to a big marina.

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Lighthouse

The marina has room for 330 boats and is one of the best marinas on west Lake Ontario.

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Fifty Point Marina

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Fifty Point Marina

Niagara Falls is only about a thirty minute drive from here so we will use this as our base while visiting Niagara Falls and the surrounding area again in the next few days.

  • Distance Driven today:  155 miles
  • Gasoline:  none today
  • Lodging:  $219.22 Canadian   ($170.53 American) total for 4 nights.
Posted in August, Canada, Daily Post | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Into Canada

Posted on August 23, 2016 by Marsha Brecht

The last three days have been just driving and not doing much of anything else. Today was a bit more interesting. We’ve been sort of re-tracing our route that we took from Niagara Falls to Minnesota two months ago. And now we find ourselves at the US/Canada border at Port Huron Michigan. The St. Clair River runs through here and is the border line between the two countries. This is a 39 mile long river flowing from the Great Lake Huron to a smaller Lake St. Clair. From there another short river connects to the next Great Lake Erie. Don’t think I’ve ever seen water this blue before.

On the US side is a lovely little riverside park on Thomas Edison Parkway. We parked the RV in one of the parking lots and went for a walk and to enjoy the view.

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The Bluewater Bridge from Thomas Edison Parkway

The Huron Lightship, retired from Coast Guard service in 1970 was presented to the city of Port Huron in 1971, and now serves as a museum ship. Since we arrived after 5:00 it was closed and we were unable to go inside.

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Huron Lightship

What timing! We just happened to be here when this huge ship passed by and went under the bridge. It is the Paul R. Tregurtha, a 1,013-foot long ship. According to Wikipedia she is the largest ship operating on the Great Lakes complex and is the current Queen of the Lakes.

I thought she looked familiar so I checked back in my blog postings. Last year around this time we were in Duluth, Minnesota, at Canal Park, on the Great Lake Superior when this very same ship entered the harbor there. Coincidence.

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Paul R. Tregurtha 2016

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Paul R. Tregurtha 2015

After the park walk we drove over that Bluewater Bridge. This is a toll bridge. The toll for us was $9 (or $12 Canadian). RVs keep left.

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The Bluewater Bridge

On the Canadian side we have to stop at the official border crossing. We were only asked a few questions by a very polite female officer. Like did we have any weapons on board? Where are we going? How long will be we in the country? Where are we from? That was about it and she checked our passports and then we were on our way.

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Canada Border Crossing

A view of the Bluewater Bridge from the Canada side:

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The Bluewater Bridge

Last time we were by here we stayed overnight in the parking lot of the OLG Casino Point Edward, Canada. It’s a small casino, but ample parking. We enjoyed a nice dinner on the river side with a view of the bridge.

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OLG Casino Point Edward, Canada

  • Distance Traveled the last 3 days:  About 750 miles
  • Lodging:  West Lake Park Scott Co. Davenport IA,  $20
  • Lodging:  free
  • Gasoline:  $51  @ $2.15  IA
  • Gasoline:  $98 @ $2.09  IA
  • Gasoline:  $91  @ $2.09  IL
  • Gasoline:  $120 @ $2.25 MI
  • Toll: $9
  • $1 US  =  $1.29 CAN  😊
Posted in August, Canada, Daily Post, Michigan | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Year Five!

Posted on August 20, 2016 by Marsha Brecht
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Goodbye House, Hello Road 2012

Four years ago we sold our house in Hutchinson MN, moved into the motor home, and hit the road. Now here we go starting our fifth year! We’ve been in our home town for the last few weeks, seeing family and friends and taking care of doctors and dentists visits. All that done now we are headed back to New Hampshire to see our kids before going south for the winter.

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Chief Little Crow overlooking the Crow River in Hutchinson MN

Goodbye for now to the land of 10,000 lakes and the miles and miles of corn and soybean fields in southern Minnesota.

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Corn and soybean fields in Minnesota

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Diamond Joe’s Casino

Well we didn’t get real far. We stopped in Blue Earth and in Albert Lea to see more family. So now we will spend the night in the back lot of Diamond Joe’s Casino which is only about 15 miles south of the Minnestoa/Iowa border. Looks like rain.

  • Distance traveled: 160 miles
  • Gasoline: none
  • Lodging:  free
Posted in August, Daily Post, Iowa, Minnesota | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

A Trip “Up North”

Posted on August 18, 2016 by Marsha Brecht

Before we leave Minnesota and head to New Hampshire we decided to make a little trip “up north” to Duluth and a scenic drive up the north shore of Lake Superior. This is a popular tourist destination for people in the Midwest and something we have done several times during the many years we lived in this state.

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Spirit Mountain Campground, #27

The Visitor Center is at the top of a hill providing a panoramic view of Duluth which is on Lake Superior at the westernmost point of the Great Lakes. The sculpture, The Gate, (David von Schlegell) serves to recognize the importance of Duluth to the world through the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway that extends 2,300 miles to the Atlantic Ocean.

Duluth, Minnesota

Duluth, Minnesota

In the morning we drove the car down to Canal Park. Here we can watch the Aerial Lift Bridge go up and down as the big ships arrive or depart carrying loads of coal, iron ore, and grain. The ship in the picture, the Cason J. Callaway,  a 767′ bringing in a load of limestone.

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Lift Bridge

Walking around the harbor area is very pedestrian friendly. A pedestrian draw bridge is pretty cool.

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Pedestrian Draw Bridge

That draw bridge opens up to allow small boats into a small boat harbor. The big boat in there is the SS William A Irvin, a permanently moored lake freighter museum ship.

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Small Boat Harbor

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Downtown Lakewalk

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Crabby Ol’ Bill’s Food Stand

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Downtown Lakewalk along Lake Superior

The lake walk has a boardwalk for pedestrians, with a paved bike path, a gravel path for the horse & carriages and at one point the North Shore Scenic Railroad. The train just happened to be passing by as we walked.

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North Shore Scenic Railroad

Leaving Canal park we next stopped at Leif Erickson Park & Rose Garden to see some roses. We could see the Aerial Lift Bridge at Canal Park from there. The park was very busy with young people walking alone or in groups while looking into their smartphones. hmm Pokemon Go?

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Leif Erickson Park & Rose Garden

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Leif Erickson

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North Shore Scenic Railroad Track

Continuing on up the north shore of Lake Superior we stopped at Gooseberry State Park to see the waterfalls.

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Gooseberry Falls

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Bridge Over Gooseberry Falls

Posted in Daily Post | 2 Comments

Minnesota Again

Posted on July 18, 2016 by Marsha Brecht

Here we are, back in Minnesota again. Our plans are to stay here for a month or so while we visit friends and family and take care of some things and then will return to New England before going south for the winter.

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Welcome to Minnesota

We spent the weekend at Minneopa State Park at Mankato. One of the landmarks at the park is Seppman Mill, listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It is what’s left of an old windmill built around 1864 and now preserved by the park.

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Seppman Mill

A more recent addition to Minneopa State Park is a small herd of Bison that were reintroduced in 2014. We spotted them, but they were a distance away from the road.

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Minneopa State Park Bison

I found a few interesting dead trees in the park and had to stop for a picture.

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Dead Trees

The park was created in 1905 to preserve Minneopa Falls, the largest waterfall in southern Minnesota. There were some heavy rains overnight which muddied up the water some and probably increased the flow.

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Minneopa Upper Falls

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Minneopa Lower Falls

And now we are in Hutchinson where we will be for the next several weeks.

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Home Sweet Home

  • Distance driven since last post: 550 Miles
  • Gasoline:  $226 @ $2.15 (IL) and $1.87 (IA)
  • Lodging for the last 6 days:  $87
  • State Park Vehicle Permit: $14
Posted in Daily Post, July, Minnesota | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Going West

Posted on July 12, 2016 by Marsha Brecht

It’s about time I got caught up with the blog. We left New Hampshire on Friday heading west to Minnesota. There are no specific plans to sight-see along the way. Heck, we didn’t even plan the route! Just pointed west and off we went.

During our travel times like this we don’t see any point in spending $40 or $50 to stay overnight in an RV park so we’re always keeping an eye out for free parking opportunities. Friday night we stayed in a Walmart parking lot in Herkimer, New York. Then Saturday night we made it to Niagara Falls, NY and stayed in the gravel lot at Seneca Niagara Casino. Rain was on the way, and it was hot, and we were tired, so other than spending some time inside the casino we did not walk down to the Falls on the American side.

Surprise to us, an outdoor concert was planned for that night in the paved parking lot next to us. Playing was Hollywood Vampires, consisting of Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp and Joe Perry. It was delayed briefly because of the rain, but was not cancelled. We could hear the music into the night right from our RV.

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Seneca Niagara Casino

Sunday morning we crossed the Rainbow Bridge into Canada, paying a $14 toll, and going through the Canada Border Crossing. The only questions asked of us were how many people, kids, pets, and did we have any weapons on board, where are we from, and where are we going. He checked our passports and we were on our way.

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Canada Border Crossing

Niagara Falls is best visited from the Canadian side  and we have seen the American side before so this time we focused on the Canadian side. We were able to park the RV in the lot with the busses all day for $10. And they said we can stay overnight there if we want, so we did.

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Skylon Tower Parking Lot

At the casino a block away we exchanged $100 American dollars for Canadian dollars and were given $126. The exchange rate is $1.30 less a transaction fee. We just wanted some “walk around” money while we are here. It’s best to use credit cards, that way there is no transaction fee.

The Falls can’t be seen from the ground in this area. A few blocks away we did get a peek through the trees.

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Niagara Falls

In spite of all the tourists, and there were a lot, we had no trouble getting lunch reservations for the revolving restaurant at the top of the Skylon Tower.

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Skylon Tower, Niagara Falls, Canada

The view from the restaurant was incredible. It takes one hour for a complete rotation. I took lots of pictures.

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Rainbow Bridge and the American Falls

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Horseshoe Falls

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Niagara Falls

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Niagara Falls

At night the falls are lit with changing colors for a few hours.

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Horseshoe Falls

Fireworks!

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Fireworks over Niagara Falls

We could have spent a few more days here because there are more attractions and things to see and do, but we needed to be on our way.Monday night we stayed overnight in the parking lot of OLG Casino in Point Edward, Ontario, Canada.

Today we made it to Warren Dunes State Park on Lake Michigan in the state of Michigan, not far from Chicago, Illinois. It’s 90 degrees and humid, storms in the forecast. It’s good to have electricity to run the air conditioners!

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Warren Dunes State Park

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Warren Dunes State Park on Lake Michigan

Only 512 miles to go!

  • Distance driven from New Hampshire:  850 miles
  • Gasoline:      $221 @ $2.15 (NY) and $2.29(MI)
  • Gasoline:      $80 Canadian dollars @ $1/ltr. (Exchange rate $1.30 per $1 American)
  • Lodging:       $10  Canadian dollars @ Niagara Falls
  • Lodging:       $48  US @ Warren Dunes State Park
  • Bridge Toll:   $14 US  @ Niagara Falls Border Crossing
  • Bridge Toll:   $12 Canadian dollars @ Sarnia Border Crossing
Posted in Canada, Daily Post, Michigan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Bridge of Flowers

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Marsha Brecht

Several times as we have traveled up and down Interstate 91 through Massachusetts we have thought about stopping to see the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls. Usually we are driving the big motorhome or just don’t have the time. But this time we were driving the car and had the time so decided to take the exit and go see it. We were glad we did.

The little New England town of Shelburne Falls is pretty enough as it is. At the end of the main street is a cool bridge, but that is not the Bridge of Flowers.

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Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts

Once we crossed the first bridge we came to the Bridge of Flowers.

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Bridge of Flowers

This 400 foot, 5 arch concrete span was built in 1908 as a trolley bridge across the Deerfield River. The trolley is gone now and in 1929 the bridge was transformed into a pedestrian bridge lined with flowers.

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Bridge of Flowers

There is no admission fee, however donations are accepted. Local volunteers keep it planted and tended. And they do an excellent job! 500 varieties of annuals and perennials ensure continual blooms all season.

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Bridge of Flowers

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Bridge of Flowers

The view is beautiful from the bridge too!

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Bridge of Flowers

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Wisteria Tree on the Bridge of Flowers

Definitely worth a stop! And we will come back.

  • Admission:  free (donation)
Posted in Daily Post, Massachusetts | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Chesterfield Gorge

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Marsha Brecht

Monday, June 27, 2016  

In the southwest corner of New Hampshire about half way between Keene, (where we are) and the Vermont border is a wayside stop that we have driven by a few times without stopping. This time we thought we would go check it out.

Chesterfield Gorge State Wayside is a little state park, only 13 acres. Next to the parking lot is a small visitor center/gift shop, bathrooms, and the trail head. It is free, but there is a donation box.

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Chesterfield Gorge State Wayside

A supply of walking sticks is available at the beginning. Take one, use it, and return it when you get back. The trail is only 7/10 of a mile but a little rugged.

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Walking Sticks

See what I mean? Rocks and tree roots along much of the trail.

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Chesterfield Gorge Trail

It was going to be a hot sunny day so we were here early in the morning while it was still cool. Plus being in the shade of the forest made for a nice hike.

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Chesterfield Gorge

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Chesterfield Gorge

There are a few wooded bridges along the way. It didn’t take long to complete the loop trail and soon we were on our way back to the campground.

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Wooden Bridge

That was a nice start to the day. It wasn’t long before the temperature warmed up. We spent the rest of the day inside the RV with two air conditioner units running.

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Ashuelot River Campground

There was a little wind, but we didn’t think it was so much. The awning on the RV came apart when a little gust of wind lifted it. We have never been impressed with the mechanics of this type of awing. A fellow camper brought over his ladder and together we got it fixed, so looks like we’re stuck with it for a while longer.

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Awning Oopsie

  • Admission:  free
Posted in Daily Post, June, New Hampshire | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Atlantic Day Trip

Posted on June 18, 2016 by Marsha Brecht

Saturday, June 18, 2016. Another beautiful day today! in the 80’s and sunny. It’s another great day for a drive (as if we don’t drive enough).  New Hampshire has only 18 miles of shoreline on the Atlantic Ocean and The 16th Annual Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpting Classic is happening at Hampton Beach over there. So off we go 108 miles east to the Atlantic.

The big beautiful sandy beach was packed!

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Hampton Beach, New Hampshire


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Sponsor Site


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Master Sand Sculpting Classic

For the last three days Ten sculptors have been busy working on their individual masterpieces for a piece of the $15,000 prize money. The deadline was today. They had only one hour left to complete their sand sculptures at the time we were there. Here are some pictures I took:

The winners will be announced later tonight. We had some driving to do to get home before it got dark so we did not stay for the awards.

  • Distance driven:  220 miles round trip
  • Admission:  Free
  • Parking:  $4 at parking meter. (Other lots were $20 to $30 for the day)
Posted in Daily Post, June, New Hampshire | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Day Trip to Vermont

Posted on June 18, 2016 by Marsha Brecht

Friday, June 17, 2016.  Such a beautiful day, a good day for a day trip. We set our sights on a hot air balloon festival in Vermont. Along the way we stopped at the King Arthur Flour Company in Norwich, Vermont. This is their flagship campus and includes a nice cafe, gift store, bakery, and school. They were just getting ready to close up for the afternoon for an employee appreciation picnic so we could not stay long. .

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King Arthur Flour Flagship Campus

And then a stop to see the “grand canyon” of Vermont, the Quechee Gorge, a 165 foot deep gorge over a mile long on the Ottauquechee River. After a stop at the visitor center we took a short hike over the to Quechee Gorge Bridge that spans the gorge. Pedestrian walkways on both sides of the bridge allow views of the gorge in both directions.

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Quechee Gorge Bridge

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South View from the Quechee Gorge Bridge

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North View from the Quechee Gorge Bridge

Just down the road is the 37th annual Quechee Hot Air Balloon Craft & Music Festival, a 3-day event. This little festival includes 20 hot air balloons that launch at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, too early for us to make that early morning drive. And they launch at 6:00 p.m. each of the three days. So we enjoyed the crafts and the music and the food while we waited.  There was one partially inflated balloon for people to enter and play around inside. cool.

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Inside One Balloon

The wind wasn’t letting up, and the balloons could not inflate until the Balloon Master gave the OK. We waited ’til 7:00 and the inflation began.

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Quechee Hot Air Balloon Festival

We have never been this close to something like this before. It was fascinating, and fun! Once they were inflated they began to rise, one after another. They did not linger as the wind quickly carried them off over the festival and out of sight. It got exciting as each time one lifted a cheer from the spectators rose with it. Here are a few of the 200 pictures I took:

Quechee Covered Bridge
  • Distance Driven:  135 miles round trip
  • Gasoline:  $11.59 @ $2.19
  • Parking: free
  • Admission to Balloon Festival: $15 each… good for 3 days
Posted in Daily Post, June, Vermont | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Strolling of the Heifers

Posted on June 4, 2016 by Marsha Brecht

Not quite as exciting as the Running of the Bulls in Spain, but fun anyway. Begun 15 years ago as a small festival to earn money for farm-to-school projects it has grown to a big agriculturally-themed Strolling of the Heifers parade and Slow Living Expo for the town of Brattleboro, Vermont, about 20 miles west of where we are staying.

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Cow Store Front Displays


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Dairy Godmother

The Dairy Godmother and her faeries entertained the spectators as we waited for the parade to start. There were free cow balloons too.

After the last entry all the spectators followed the parade up the street to the park  for the Slow Living Expo for food, music, dancing, demonstrations, exhibits, etc. all related to “sustaining family farms by connecting people with healthy local food.” Meet the heifers up close and pet them.

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To the Expo!


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Meet the Heifers


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Alpacas


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All Things Cow

There was a lot going on and the crowd was thick. We walked around a while and then made our way back to the car and headed for home.

As we drove through the small town of Winchester, New Hampshire, on our way home we drove by the Ashuelot Covered Bridge. This is one of the prettiest ones we have seen.

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Ashuelot Covered Bridge

  • Distance Driven:  44 miles round trip
  • Parking:  $2.50
Posted in Daily Post, June, Vermont | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Maine Trip

Posted on May 27, 2016 by Marsha Brecht

It’s nice being here in New Hampshire with our family, but occasionally we head out on a field trip. A few days ago we left the RV behind in the campground and took the car over to Maine to visit our friend, Peter, who lives in Old Orchard Beach.

One of our favorite places to stop along the way is at the Home Office of Stonewall Kitchens in York ME. They make specialty jams, sauces, and much more. Besides the Home Offices there is the production facility and an awesome company store & Cafe. Tulips were blooming nicely when we were there.

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Stonewall Kitchen, York Maine

And then on up to Old Orchard Beach. No sunshine! It was about 88 degrees back in New Hampshire, but about 20 degrees cooler here on the ocean. Nice! But not many people out since it was a week day and the summer tourists had not yet arrived.

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Old Orchard Beach on the Atlantic Ocean

Peter brought us to the beach via this colorful boardwalk. The fences were decorated with colorful lobster and crab trap parts and ropes. If only the sun were shining to bring out those bright colors.

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Old Orchard Beach, Maine

Peter brought us out the most photogenic lighthouse at Portland. It is currently under renovation and the lighthouse was covered with scaffolding while it was being painted.

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Portland Head Light

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Portland Head Light

And on the other side of town we went to see the Bug Light.

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Portland “Bug Light”

It was a good visit. After a late afternoon seafood lunch with Peter we returned to New Hampshire.

  • Distance Traveled: 300 miles round trip
  • Gas:  $28 @ $2.19 (NH)
Posted in Daily Post, Maine, May | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Cornish NH

Posted on May 24, 2016 by Marsha Brecht

It was raining this morning and we didn’t want to spend the day inside so we made a little road trip up the New Hampshire / Vermont border about 60 miles to see the Cornish-Windsor Bridge. The 460 foot length makes this the longest wooden covered bridge in the United States and the longest two-span covered bridge in the world. It spans the Connecticut River between Windsor, Vermont, and Cornish, New Hampshire. It is a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Cornish-Windsor Bridge

There is room for two lanes of traffic through the bridge.

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Cornish-Windsor Bridge

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Cornish-Windsor Bridge

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Walk Your Horses or Pay Two Dollars Fine

Just a few miles north of the bridge in New Hampshire is Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site. This was the home of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, one of America’s greatest sculptors. The exhibit galleries and the studio will open for the season in a few days so we could not see them and so there was no charge for the visit today. Tour guides were in rehearsal mode and we arrived just in time to be a practice audience for them, so we and a few others were given a free tour of the house.

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Aspet

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Little Studio

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View of Mt. Ascutney from The Little Studio

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Tulips in Bloom in the Flower Garden

Most of the sculptures are inside the studio and other buildings that are not open yet so we could not see those. But there were a few on the grounds outside for us to see.

The Shaw Memorial is Saint-Gauden’s final version of the monument to the Civil War service of the Massachusetts 54th Regiment of African American Volunteers in Boston.

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Shaw Memorial

The Farragut Monument is Saint-Gaudens’ first commissioned public monument and commemorated Civil War Admiral David Glasgow Farragut. The success of this piece assured Saint-Gaudens’ reputation as a leading sculptor.

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Farragut Monument

I was surprised to see this fish sculpture, it seemed out of place here. Then I learned that this year is National Park Service centennial and The New England Sculptors Association is partnering with the NPS in three New England parks to exhibit works by 50 artists that were inspired by these parks. The exhibit begins June 4 and runs through August 22.

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Toothed Fish by Thomas Berger

  • Distance Traveled:  110 miles round trip
  • Gasoline:  $22.20 @ $2.25
  • Admission:  free
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Honey Hill

Posted on May 23, 2016 by Marsha Brecht

There are many opportunities to hike around here. Today, another beautiful day, we chose to visit Honey Hill in Swanzey NH. A few horses greeted us near the parking area for the trail.

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Horse Greeting

Remains of an old rock wall can be seen in a few places along the trail. These are common all over New England. Years ago the settlers here cleared the land and used the rocks to mark the boundary lines of their property. So probably the woods we are hiking through may have been someones farmstead at one time.

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Rock Boundary Wall

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Trees

Other than a few squirrels the only wildlife we saw was a small snake on the trail.

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Snake!

No fancy built bridges along this trail. But occasional boards or logs got us across wet areas.

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A Little Bridge

Finally, after about an hour or so we arrived at the summit of Honey Hill and were rewarded with an awesome view and a bench to sit on. The 3,166-ft. Mount Monadnock can be seen in the distance. That is a National Natural Landmark and is known for its presence in the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.

Honey Hill tops out at around 866 feet.

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Honey Hill Summit

 

Posted in Daily Post, May, New Hampshire | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Tippin Rock

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Marsha Brecht

Today was another beautiful day; a great day for a hike. Tippin Rock/Hewes Hill is just a few miles southeast of Swanzey NH where we are camped so we went to check it out. It’s a fairly easy walk through the forest up hill from the trail head rising about 320 feet in a half mile to the top of the hill.

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Tippin Rock/Hewes Hill Trail

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Tippin Rock/Hewes Hill Trail

At the top is a 40 ton boulder that can be made to rock gently when pushed in just the right place. We pushed and pushed and I think we felt it move. Maybe we didn’t find just the right place.

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Tippin Rock

Continuing on a little further the trail leads to Hewes Hill, a rock ledge that provides an awesome panoramic view of the surrounding area.

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Hewes Hill

And then back down the hill. The total distance was only 1.8 miles round trip.

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Down is easier than up!

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It was a very quiet walk. The only wildlife we saw was one wild turkey that ran off quickly as soon as it noticed us, very few birds, no squirrels, but there were a few mosquitoes and gnats following us.

Posted in Daily Post, May, New Hampshire | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Bridges!

Posted on May 14, 2016 by Marsha Brecht

Two weeks ago we arrived at our destination near the small town of Keene, in southwest New Hampshire, where we will be until the end of June. The days started out pretty cold, then came several rainy days until now when the last few days have been just perfect. We love spending our time with our family here and have done some exploring on our own.

The local Farmers Market is in downtown Keene on Saturdays and Tuesdays. Here you can buy locally grown fresh produce, bottles of maple syrup, fresh home-made cheeses, baked goods, and crafts.

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Farmers Market in Keene, NH

Since it was such a beautiful day we went for a drive to find some of the cool bridges in the area. The first one we found was a 100-year-old Cheshire Railroad Stone Arch Bridge. I could not find a safe place to park the car and walk for a good picture so had to shoot this from the car as we drove by.

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Cheshire Railroad Stone Arch Bridge

There are several covered bridges near us. The West Dummerston Covered Bridge, in Dummerston VT, not far from Brattleboro VT, across the border from Keene NH, at 280 feet, is the longest covered bridge entirely within the state of Vermont.

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West Dummerston Covered Bridge, 1872

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1789 Carlton Bridge, New 1869

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Sawyers Crossing Covered Bridge, also known as Cresson Bridge, 1859

The Ashuelot Rail Trail crosses near the Cresson Bridge so we walked that for a while and found this neat old railroad bridge along the way.

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Ashuelot Rail Trail

We have the pleasure of crossing the Thompson Bridge every time we leave or return to Ashuelot River Campground, where we are staying. It’s like stepping back in time every time we go somewhere.

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West Swanzey Bridge, also known as Thompson Bridge 1832

And then there is a cool bridge at Ashuelot River Park in downtown Keene, NH.

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Ashuelot River Park

Posted in Daily Post, May, New Hampshire | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Walkway Over the Hudson

Posted on May 1, 2016 by Marsha Brecht

Saturday, April 30, 2015:  Our daughter from Connecticut was going to be rock climbing with her friends in the Schawangunk Mountains about a hundred miles south of where we were in Saratoga so we moved down that way to see her. We were able to get a Saturday night reservation in a KOA near there.

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New York City North/Newburgh KOA, #R03

While we were waiting for her we had some time to kill so we checked for nearby attractions and saw that the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park was near by.

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Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park

Some statistics:

  • The Walkway is a 100+ year old train trestle
  • Spans the Hudson River between Lloyd and Poughkeepsie in New York State.
  • A fire destroyed the tracks in 1974
  • 35 years later, in 2009, it was repurposed as the Walkway State Park
  • 1.28 miles long
  • 212 feet above the Hudson River
  • Is the longest pedestrian bridge over water in the world
  • It’s free

At the entrance to the bridge is a information stand and small gift shop along with some snacks and picnic tables.

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Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park

There is no admission charged to walk across the bridge and the gates are closed at sunset.

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Lloyd West Side Entrance

Interpretive signs and photos can be found on the railings all along the way informing you of the construction and the fire.

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Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park

It is also a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

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Engineering Placque

Medallions honor those who have made significant contributions.

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Support the Walkway

Towards the Poughkeepsie end of the Walkway is a glass-enclosed elevator that you can ride for free down 21 stories to a small park below.

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Elevator

The views from the bridge are wonderful. Below here is a small part of Poughkeepsie.

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Poughkeepsie, New York

As we exited the east end of the bridge we saw three food trucks waiting for the hungry walkers.

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Food Trucks

Of course, walking only one way across was not an option. We had to turn around and go back the 1.28 miles we came if we wanted to get back to the car.

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Poughkeepsie East End Entrance

This time we took the elevator down the 21 stories to the park below before finishing our return walk.

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Upper Landing Park

Nice view of the walkway from down below.

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Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park

After our walk we met our daughter and some of her climbing friends for a nice dinner.

  • Distance Driven: 135 miles
  • Lodging:  $61
  • Admission:  free

Sunday, May 1, 2016:  This morning we left the KOA in New York and have arrived at our destination in New Hampshire where we will be for the next two months as we spend time with our son and his family.  I probably will not be making blog posts during this time unless we make some day trips with the car. Our plans after this time period are unplanned. We could go north into Canada, or maybe into Maine, or south, or west, who knows.  Stay tuned!

  • Distance Driven:  200 miles
  • Gasoline:  $125 @ $2.27
  • Lodging:  $1035  Monthly rate for May only

 

Posted in April, Daily Post, May, New York | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment