Old Friends and New England

I took a swing through New England back in late August and early September. For some reason my camera went on the fritz and I was only recently able to get photos from it into the computer.

I was moved to head north by 95 degree August heat here in Maryland accompanied by equal numbers in the humidity area. By the time I reached the Hudson River Valley in upstate New York, the temps were quite comfortable. 

I stopped in to see old friends Marty and Bobbie Yandle and Marty’s brother Mike.  They live near the quaint little village of

Chelsea about 75 miles north of New York City within sight of the Hudson River. Marty and I had our first band when we were fifteen back in Charlotte, NC. We both still play, so we broke out the guitars and sang for several hours. They are great with harmonies.

Marty and Bobbie had just gotten their new 2010 Toyota Prius and Marty was eager to show me its space age qualities. The morning after the sing along, we glided into nearby Wappingers Falls for breakfast at their favorite coffee house. The Prius lived up to Marty's enthusiastic descriptions of it's comfortable ride and low gas consumption. Plus you feel as though you're on the bridge of a miniature Starship Enterprise when you look at the futuristic dash and interior.

                     After leaving New York, I zipped through Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire into southern Maine. A lot of small towns in that part of Maine are named for other places.  I'm sure this sign elicits chuckles from motorists driving through these parts.

My destination was Norway where I always enjoy visiting friends who live in this 1820s-era house on a gravel road outside of town.

       

I went to college with brothers Phil and Jim, and we've stayed connected over the past forty years. Phil and his wife, Carol, raised three children in this wonderful farmhouse. The kids have flown the coop now. Jim, fleeing city life, moved up several years ago. 

Carol and son Jason enjoy morning coffee while avid New England sports fan Phil goofs off in the front yard. Phil and Jason are both musicians and we had a great jam session. I enjoyed Jason’s original piano tunes.

I was parked in an open field across from the house.  It was incredibly quiet there – it seemed that not even airplanes fly over this part of the world.  It was great to sit out in the utter silence and read or just contemplate.  And the surrounding woods were great for walks.

After leaving Maine, I spent a few days traveling across New Hampshire, Vermont, and the Adirondacks of upstate New York on my way to the next chapter of this adventure. The backroads of New England are easy on the eyes with numerous lakes, villages and mountains to see.

  











And I could easily get used to the pace of life …

 

Falling for Niagara

After we left the wedding and the good times spent with family, we headed to the western end of New York to see the famous Niagara Falls. Now, I had suggested this detour as somewhat of a ruse in order to extend our family trip and keep GoJoe out on the road for a bit longer. I had grown weary of seeing it parked forlornly in the driveway. I was pleased when my family all seemed up for a visit to the storied place where water drops off a cliff, but I was secretly just happy to have somewhere to go.

So when we arrived at the Falls late in the afternoon and peered over the precipice, I was totally unprepared for what turned out to be an utter fascination for this natural wonder. Immediately upon seeing all that water tumble over the edge and into a raging gorge, I was a major fan. Couldn't get enough.

We spent two days looking down at, walking beneath, and boating under these tumultuous waters.

Here the water is about to slide off into oblivion ...
(Click photos for, as they say, "full effect")


And then ...

From below on a rickety catwalk ...

Eric, Malina, and Tracey ...


Eric and Malina getting soaked ...


Approaching the American Falls aboard the Maid of the Mist. As the boat moved into the waters raging beneath the horseshoe-shaped Canadian Falls, it was useless to try to take pictures. Water was flying everywhere. It was an exhilarating - and soaking - experience, however.


Eric and Malina. Rainbow bridge in the background. We walked over the bridge into Canada several times. The buildings in the distance are on the Canadian side. Lots of things to see and do over there.

Canadian Falls at dusk ...

GoJoe Rides Again!

The Blanton family has just returned from a five-day trip to the north. Tracey, Eric, Malina, and I attended the wedding of our niece/cousin in upstate New York. Then we headed to the western end of the state for our first visit to the famed Niagara Falls.

We stayed at state parks and RV campgrounds, sleeping and preparing our meals in GoJoe. It was interesting for four adults to share a relatively small space, but it worked out great. While on the road, I drove as the others played cards, watched movies, napped or watched the scenery go by.

The wedding was held outdoors in the beautiful Wayne Myers gardens south of Ithaca. The weather was picture perfect and the setting was exquisite. Bride Emily and groom Tim had a glorious day.







A few shots of the gardens ...








Eric and Malina relax in a gazebo ...



and stroll down a path ...



Mr. and Mrs. B. I'm sure that behind the beard I was not scowling! :)



The reception was held at an inn in Ithaca. Here are some photos of the festivities and the grounds just outside the reception room ...

The newlyweds ...


Bride Emily and Dad Walt ...


Tracey, sister Tina, and daughter-in-law Malina kick it up ...


Grandpa Walt dances with grandaughter Jessica ...





Brother of the bride Walter IV with Walter V ...


Bride's family's home. I've always enjoyed the peace and tranquility of this place.




Sittin' on the porch ...


That hair regrowth potion is starting to kick in! ...

Feeling Wobbly?

We all know that the earth spins on it's axis, an imaginary line that goes through the North and South Poles. What a lot of us may not know is that our planet "wobbles" a tiny bit on this axis, much like a spinning top that's slowing down. Just over a hundred years ago, scientists decided it was time to figure out just how much "wobble" was there.

Back in 1899, the International Geodetic Association established six small observatories around the world, all on the same latitude -- 38 degrees, 6 minutes North. Their assignment was to keep an eye on certain stars in the sky. Comparing information from different locations on the earth would help to make calculations about the latitude line and, thus, the wobble. I've always been intrigued that one of these observatories is here in my hometown of Gaithersburg, Maryland. The others were in Cincinnati, Ohio; Ukiah, California; Mizusawa, Japan; Charjui in Russian Turkestan; and Carloforte, Sardina, Italy. The Gaithersburg Latitude Observatory, a tiny wooden building, was in use from 1899 until 1982, with a break from 1915 until 1932 for economic reasons. In its working years, the roof would slide back to allow the telescope an open view of the sky. The observatory has been preserved as a National Historic Landmark.

Here it is today:




The small building sits in a field in a residential area surrounded by a fence looking like a tool shed. There are no signs or markings and I would imagine that few people know of its significance. You can read more about it here.

Good to be Home!

I've been home for just over a week now and it occurred to me that I should mention this on the blog! GoJoe's road test is over and it's great to be back at home with the family.

I was waiting to post until I could get a picture of Tracey, Eric, Malina and myself standing by the RV. But weather and schedules haven't cooperated, so that'll have to wait. In the meantime, I've returned to "civilian" life here with the added task of mowing the lawn now that spring is in full force. The first few days back I unloaded GoJoe, washed and waxed it, cleaned the windows and tires, etc. I'm sure the neighbors thought I'd gone over the edge with all the attention I was giving my RV. Many of them have stopped by and wanted to know about the trip. I enjoy inviting them in to GoJoe's lounge and regaling them with stories of the road.



A few stats from the trip:

- Days on the road: 50
- Miles traveled: 7,751
- States visited: 12
- Sights seen: Mountains, forests, deserts, lakes, rivers, gardens, parks, a gulf(of Mexico), an ocean (Pacific), historical sites, factories, and on and on.
- Great people met: Too many to count
- Value of experience: Priceless

Tracey and I have been thinking of short trips to take in the next few months in GoJoe. Virginia Beach and the Adirondacks seem to be calling. And a niece is getting married in upstate New York in August. Eric and Malina will go with us to the wedding and we'll test GoJoe's capacity to house four people for a few days.

Stay tuned for the future adventures of GoJoe. And now I'm off to mow the grass. :)