10161031: Rockland MA to York, PA

For those wanting to travel the East Coast, be warned, if you want to avoid tolls be prepared for an interesting route. Today we just wanted to get to the middle of an area of different sites and York Pennsylvania seemed a good spot. Travel time was supposed to be 7 hours.

We left Rockland Massachusetts at 7:55am. It was sunny and 42, nice day to travel. One of the first things we noticed was that on a number of over passes people were waving banners in support of different political candidates - some local and some national. One had Trump/Pence and they were waving checkered flags.

We entered Rhode Island at 8:46, Connecticut at 9:37, gas and a lunch to go at 11:32, New York at 11:42, New Jersey at 12:17, and finally Pennsylvania at 1:40. That is 6 states in 5 hours and 45 minutes.

In the 35 minutes we were in New York we crossed the George Washington Bridge in New York City and also drove under a skyscraper - all 10 lanes - 5 each way. We were on freeways mostly but drove on a "parkway" in New York.  We got off the freeway just before entering Pennsylvania and actually entered the state in a small town. On a number of the freeways there were wall to wall trucks - pretty intimidating.  Another interesting tidbit is that the speed limit is mostly 55. That was very helpful because of the amount of traffic and decisions to be made. Unlike Interstate 5 where you can drive through 3 states and stay on the same interstate, we were on 6 interstates and a number of state highways. It got to be comical - "kind lady" the GPS voice would say something like,  "merge onto I80 west"; then when we would merge, she would say something like, "stay on I80 for 3 miles". 3 miles! We wanted 30 or 60 or more but no, it was 3 or 6 or 10. Definitely not west coast driving. We made the entire trip without paying a single toll, and saw some interesting sites as well .

Pennsylvania landscape was certainly different than the freeways. There were lots of trees along the freeways but vast amounts of of farm land on hillsides along the state highways. Many large corn fields.

When all was said and done we drove 410 miles in 8 hours.  After checking into our motel we ate at a cool diner called Quaker Steak and Lube. It is in an old gas station and garage. There were 3 bays in the garage and the glass doors are still there. This place is filled with motorcycles hanging from the ceiling, tire rims, a Corvette on a rack. Their speciality is wings and the "lube" is the different sauces you can have with the wings. Fun place and great homemade potato chips.

Driving in New York City 

Contrast the Pennsylvania farm land!

20161030: A day with our LORD and friends

It's Sunday and lo and behold , we are very close to a Calvary Chapel. Not only that but it is on the way for Curt and Bev so they picked us up. Who are Curt and Bev you may ask? They are Renee's (of Jeff and Renee) dad and step mom.

The teaching was good from Luke 14 about the 10 lepers who were healed and only one came to thank Jesus. There was encouragement to be thankful and that it blesses Jesus. Knew only a couple of the worship songs but it was a special time.

The church is in an old Kmart building and has a gym, a school and the Sunday School rooms are huge. They have pews and they are the same color as our chairs so was reminded of home. We met some very nice people.

After service we were treated to a very nice meal - were so happy to have someone tell us about the different, good food, as well as history of the area. They have scrod, a type of flacky white fish that is very tasty.

We drove around so many little towns with very big houses. We even saw the Atlantic Ocean! The water front was covered with private homes - no public beach. It was a great tour of areas we would have never found on our own.  Could not have asked for better hosts: now friends.

Relaxed and got ready for Monday.

20161030: A day with our LORD and friends

It's Sunday and lo and behold , we are very close to a Calvary Chapel. Not only that but it is on the way for Curt and Bev so they picked us up. Who are Curt and Bev you may ask? They are Renee's (of Jeff and Renee) dad and step mom.

The teaching was good from Luke 14 about the 10 lepers who were healed and only one came to thank Jesus. There was encouragement to be thankful and that it blesses Jesus. Knew only a couple of the worship songs but it was a special time.

The church is in an old Kmart building and has a gym, a school and the Sunday School rooms are huge. They have pews and they are the same color as our chairs so was reminded of home. We met some very nice people.

After service we were treated to a very nice meal - were so happy to have someone tell us about the different, good food, as well as history of the area. They have scrod, a type of flacky white fish that is very tasty.

We drove around so many little towns with very big houses. We even saw the Atlantic Ocean! The water front was covered with private homes - no public beach. It was a great tour of areas we would have never found on our own.  Could not have asked for better hosts: now friends.

Relaxed and got ready for Monday.

20161029: Boston

Wow. After a harrowing drive through Boston midday yesterday to get to our motel we decided to repeat the test today but in a different fashion.

We were up bright and early with a foolproof plan. The desk clerk here had told us about parking and the subway system here, so planned on using the resources at hand.

We headed out to the Quincy Adams Park and Ride about nine miles away. Made it without a hitch. Found the escalator down to the ticket machines and quickly turned into the "deer in the headlights". Fortunately there was a very courteous and helpful employee who stepped us through the the process of buying tickets. 

Made it on board, and soon on our way to the Park Street Station. Surfacing from the underground station we were met by hundreds of runners - all in costumes and more interested in talking with other runners than winning any kind of trophy. This was apparently some kind of Halloween event. 

Halloween seems to be a huge event here as we saw costumed people (young and older-than-us old) all day. This was especially obvious later in the day in an area with many pubs,which must be massive in size by number of consumed revelers we saw entering. 

Not knowing Boston was a good reason to try a tour. Finding a ticket booth for one of the many hop on hop off tours we bought tickets and found a pickup spot - #14 of 15 on their route . We road around the entire one hour and 45 minute tour before picking several stops to hop off and explore. 

Explored a bit of the Quincy Marketplace after watching a pair of jugglers outside. The market was huge and tightly packed with thousands of people. Mainly food booths in one building. Had a mediocre lunch there before proceeding. 

Jumped back on a bus, stopping then at the USS Constitution. We wanted to take the tour of the ship, but were stopped by a naval security. As it turns out, Chuck's pocket knife's blade was longer than the legal two inches. Moved on to the museum, spending hour or so there. 

The day was winding down, but stopped near Faneuil Hall. Near there is the Boston Holocaust Memorial. Very moving memorial. 

We found the subway entrance around 5:00 pm and returned to the motel. 

A few notes about Boston. Traffic is horrible even on Saturday. We thought it bad yesterday, but in watching the tour bus drivers navigate construction, narrow streets, seemingly endless number of traffic lights, and the myriad of other cars we were both thankful we didn't try to drive ourselves. Traffic patterns seem to prevent smooth flow. 

Historical sites are intertwined with, and overshadowed by new construction. If built at a historic site, a new building must retain the original exterior as a facade. This makes for some strange looking building fronts. 

Massachusetts has a number of turnpikes where tolls are extracted at routine intervals. There have been two methods of paying these tolls: cash at a toll booth, or an "EZPass" system that records each car moving past a sensor and then debits the user's account. That was the way it was until Friday evening when the cash option disappeared - now the turnpikes are cashless. Can't find information about people like us, tourists and visitors, are supposed to do, but can find a lot about fines, violations, surcharges for not paying the toll on. 

Maybe Chuck can offer his pocket knife in return for a toll amnesty.

So thankful Boston remembers the holocaust.

20161028: Maine, tiny part of New Hampshire, to Boston, Massachusetts

A man we visited with for a short time yesterday said there was a nor'easter blowing in. It came . Woke up to heavy rain. The drops weren't especially big but there were lots of them. Not a bad temperature either: 50. And it was windy.

So the drive through the rest of Maine was with much attentiveness.  It wasn't horrible. There weren't gusts of wind blowing us around or pockets of water on the road that seem to send the car either right or left. The rain was lighter by New Hampshire - which was only 12 miles long at this point.  We left the rain several miles into Massachusetts.

The issue today was tolls. We paid $1 just before entering New Hampshire, and $4 just after entering New Hampshire, and $2 just before entering Massachusetts.

We stopped at a visitor center just inside Massachusetts and in talking with a lady found out that as of 5pm today no one will pay cash. EVERYONE is supposed to have an EZPass box that a sensor will read.

Well, Chuck researched for over an hour trying to find out how this effects tourists like us. The lady at the visitor center said that it was a mess and it seems to be. Chuck tried calling a number that was for paying your bill and got a fast busy signal. Does this remind you of another government idea that we all had to be a part of?

We arrived in Boston at about 11:30 but didn't get to our motel - just south of Boston until noon. We thought of our friends that have various travel fears when we went from driving over a very cool bridge to being under ground, driving 55 mph in 4 lanes of traffic. We are such a well matched pair - Chuck is an awesome navigator and Karen is learning to trust and follow directions.

Well so many things have happened on this trip that could be seen as "coincidence " but with what happened today we have to know: 1) God is in control and, 2) He is guiding us. As was written before we drove in Boston for 30 minutes. After arriving at the motel we checked to see where the Calvary Chapel is here. It is 3.5 miles , 7 minutes away.  We will be going to church Sunday.

No pictures this wet, driving day.

29161027: Maine Coast

Another beautiful day. It has been a month since this journey began.

We traveled down the coast of Maine. So many little bays, inlets and rivers. Also many little towns. The first one we stopped at was Belfast. There was a nice boardwalk on a harbor with boats ranging from a dingy to massive yachts. It was sunny but windy and only 43.  Seemed very affluent.

Next  was Camden. It had a very nice park next to the library which was just up from the harbor. They actually had a nice public parking area which we drove right to. There were many Clinton / Kain signs.

At both these towns there were people working. That may seem strange but we haven't seen the level of activity other places as here.

Next town was Rockland. We didn't stop here but this one reminded us of Klamath Falls. It had all the stores, shops and fast food places. It went on and on and on. The first 2 towns were touristy, this one was just more a normal town. We took a road just south and went to a little community called Owls Head where there was a light house.

Next we drove past Port George to Saint Clyde and the Marshall Point Lighthouse. What was very nice about this place is how remote it was. The only things to be heard were a boat that was checking its nets, some birds and water lapping at the rocks. Even though it was only 47 degrees, we had a picnic.

Next lighthouses were Kennebec River Range lighthouses. The interesting thing about this is that there are 2 and the are for a river, not the ocean. There was one 235 yards behind the other.

Enough interesting things so off to find our motel in Freeport ME. We couldn't believe the traffic on Highway 1, like Oregon 97. It was solid stream of traffic both ways. After dinner at a very nice restaurant, Muddy Rudder, did some research. Freeport is only 11 miles north of Portland; which is Maine's largest city at over 66,000. The 3rd largest city is just 12 miles south of Portland with 32,000+. And all this time we are trying to avoid the bigger cities.

That's the big and little of it. 

One of the Kennebec River Range light houses taken from the other light house.

20161026: Back to the States

Today was mainly a travel day. Woke up to 33 and frost. Drove from Truro NS, through New Brunswick, to Bangor, ME. We traveled Trans Canada (like our interstate) and state highway - no interstate in this part of Maine. Took a little over 6 hours but with coming back to Eastern time zone we gained an hour.

Crossed into the states at 12:24 Atlantic time, 11:24 Eastern time.  We had a little fog to begin, some rain off and on but mainly dry and overcast. It never got above the mid 40's. Wind wasn't bad.

Going through customs was quick as there was no backlog of cars so we drove right up to the booth, answered a few questions and went on our way. But by the looks of all the cameras and sensors they probably know quite a bit about us and the contents of the car.

Will remember Nova Scotia as a time we didn't hear about the election. There wasn't a breakfast bar with tv's giving options. Very nice.

In Bangor we ate at the same place as a week ago. Friars Bake Shop. Took a nap and went to church. Good teaching from Ezekiel 17 - 19. Sin and its consequences. God's heart is always that we would turn and repent.

Maine colors still good but many on the ground now also.

Going into the customs entry.

20161025: Nova Scotia Continued

We were able to experience a tidal bore this morning. In this particular one, the Bay of Fundy comes into this "bore" and with one wave fills the bore in about 3 to 5 minutes. Incredible to watch. The bore was less than 10 minutes from our motel. It was raining pretty good and was wondering what the day was going to be like.

Left Truro and the rain stopped before we had gone 5 miles, thank you LORD. We headed south toward Halifax, but decided to go a little further first to Peggy's Cove. We were not disappointed. We saw the actual Atlantic Ocean for the first time on our trip. At least this part does not have beaches like we are used to in Oregon.

We then wandered back to Halifax. Chuck said we should have a nice lunch there and we did at Gohan's next to the ferry terminal. Lobster roll and halibut tacos. Wonderful company, just the two of us. We then wandered the streets of Halifax taking in the contrast between 150 year old churches next to glass high rises. Walked up a hill to a clock tower that chimes ever quarter hour. The view was breathtaking. Again the great contrast. This was near the site of a military compound - which no longer exists.

Enough excitement so come back to the motel. Weather was good except for first thing this morning.

Interesting fact: gas prices are regulated. Don't need Gas Buddy; everywhere is the same. Today it was about $4.05 per gallon Canadian.

Karen thinks that if she were to take the family on a vacation, it would be to Nova Scotia. So much for every age - and we haven't explored a tenth of one percent of what is here.

How about this for a beach?

Something for everyone along the Halifax wharf boardwalk. 

Old and new together in Halifax. 

Incredible view over the city. 

20161024: Heading West

We are headed the right direction to get home - at least today.   We went to a portion of the west side of PEI this morning. Visited a museum dedicated to the Acadian people. These are people from France who settled in the Maritime Provinces in the early 1600s. Their history was full of change and much hardship. They seemed to hold onto their trust in God and also music. There was an entire section of the museum dedicated to step dancing. An interesting fact is that during one of the times they needed to relocate, they did so to Louisiana. That is where the Cajon people came from.

When we finished there we came back over the 9 mile - over the water - Confederation Bridge. It was so much clearer so a great view. It was still quite windy. Passed through a section of New Brunswick and into Nova Scotia to a town named Truro. Nice little town. Great park. Boy, did I think of Declan and Wyatt while wandering through!  So many trails and stairs. A young person could play and wander all day. In fact it is just a couple blocks from the junior high school. Oh, there is also a skate park. The weather cleared and the wind died down so it was a pleasant time.

Because there was time we did laundry and are having evening to relax.

A small portion of the Confederation Bridge

One of the many stairs at Victoria Park, Truro, Nova Scotia

20161023: More PEI

Went to a nice church-Calvary Church.  The worship was sweet, even though we didn't know any of the songs. It was a good teaching on "hope" from Romans 15:13.

We are getting to experience more and more of God's awesome power and creation. This little island has so many different "regions".

This afternoon we went to the east end of the island. According to the weather information the winds were consistently between 25 and 35 mph (the locals would have given the speed in kilometers per hour) - it was breezy. Thankfully there was very little rain, although it was cloudy most of the day. The east side is full of agriculture - there were dried up corn fields, cabbage fields, fields we didn't know what they were. They boast of potatoes. There were an enormous amount of the large rolled hay which is wrapped in a white covering. Towns are non existent and there are no gas stations. The water is white instead of the red around Charlottetown. The waves were coming in very fast and there was a lot of spray because of the wind. By the way, Charlottetown is on the south side.

From the east we went north. The scene changed from crops to cattle - lots of dairies.  They actually make cheese here. We had some yesterday and it was very good. This is the Ann of Green Gables area. We got there too late to have a tour.

Another difference in the east and north are the roads. In the east they are straight. They are not flat but they are straight. In the north there are more curves. Many, many hills and valleys in both areas. When we were on the crest of a hill we could look and see for miles - farm after farm with groves of trees interspersed. Pictures do not do it justice.

On the PEI license plates there is a picture of a fox. While on the north side one came to the side of the road. We pulled over, got out and it was as though he was looking for attention. He just sat there to have his picture taken.

Woods Island Lighthouse 

Eastern PEI farm land 

Show off on the north coast 

20161022: Prince Edward Island

This was the wettest day of the trip. It started right away and driving was stressful. Were looking forward to the 9 mile bridge over water from New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island but it was raining so hard couldn't see 10 feet. Stopped just inside PEI at an information center. Had to stay in the car for several minutes - there were sheets of rain and strong wind. The information center was very helpful.

Went to the PEI Farmer's Market. It was in a building like one of the commercial buildings at the Tulelake Fair. There were 2 aisles with vendors on both sides. There were several vegetable booths.  Also ones for bread, cheese, soap, knitting and several others. And quite a number of food booths. There were shoulder to shoulder people and there was so much conversation, it was like a big family reunion. Such a good example of community. We got some food and ate in the car-no place to sit.

We went to downtown Charlottetown and learned about how the confederacy of Canada came about in 1864. History is so fascinating, and here there is so much.  Had an interesting conversation with 2 security guards at the museum. We asked them if they could identify the song we heard sung at the restaurant in Alma - we had recorded a portion of it. In a few seconds one of them said it was "Song for the Mira", a very popular song about the Mira River of Cape Breten Island in Nova Scotia.

Walked to the water. Lo and behold. The rain stopped and it turned out to be a pleasant, mid 60's, overcast day.

Turns out our motel is about 1/4 mile away. We checked in, rested and relaxed.

Near downtown Charlottetown.

20161021:Bay of Fundy

An unusual and different kind of day. It was clear when we left our motel but that was the last clear. It sprinkled then it rained hard. We arrived at Alma on the Bay of Fundy at 10:40-just after low tide occurred. This particular place was actually on the list of the 7 natural wonders of the world. The tides are incredible. They average the height change of a 5 story building in 6 hours.

So because it was raining so hard we listened to the final chapter of an audio  book we've been working on for three weeks  - an hour. We looked hard for a place to eat lunch as many were closed for the season. We ended up at Harbor View grocery and cafe. Great local place with good fish and chips and lobster roll. One of the locals got up, picked up a guitar and played a well known Canadian song - it brought tears to one ladies eyes.

Went back to where we had taken pictures - 3 hours later. The tide was coming in fast and we could watch it. Chuck wanted Karen to stand on an area of rocks but by the time she got there it was surrounded by water. The water is very brown because of the immense volume of water that moves through the bay.

Drove aways further to some rock formations but the viewing area was closed for the season. We see "closed for the season"  a lot but we both still are glad we came at this time.

Our room tonight is in Moncton, a city (and surrounding areas of nearly 140,000). Very busy place. Didn't want to drive anymore so walked about 4 blocks - including under a freeway - to a Tim Horton -  had to try them once anyway. It is an eastern chain known more for their pastries and breakfast. There was a Super Walmart  and BassPro on the way. In and relaxing by 6:30.

Times and Heights for High and Low Tides at Alma

2016-10-21 (Friday)
Time	Height
ADT	(m)	(ft)
04:12	10.6	34.8
10:28	1.1	3.6
16:32	10.8	35.4
22:56	1.0	3.3

Bay of Fundy. These two pictures taken 2 hours and 54 minutes apart. 

20161020: Into New Brunswick, Canada

Another beautiful day. Got a little earlier start as we knew we would be losing an hour and there was something that we needed to see early.

Drove from Bangor, Maine to Roosevelt Campobello International Park on an island just inside Canada - thus went through customs. This was the place that FD Roosevelt summered with his parents from the time he was 1 year old until he was 38 and contacted polio - 1921. He took his wife and 5 kids - and a number of servants - there for many years. We were able to tour the "cottage" 18 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms and no electricity. The water was gravity fed.

We walked the grounds some and down to the beach and then headed back, and through customs. Ate at Lubec, Maine the eastern most town in the United States. Karen had a very rich crab stew - so good.

Drove a while and entered New Brunswick 3pm Atlantic time, 11am Pacific time. Saw a sign for a chocolate factory and museum in St. Stephen and had some time so stopped. We were actually able to watch a lady make hand make chocolates. This lady, and another, make fudge from scratch, make individual little balls from the fudge, then hand dip it in chocolate and make a certain design on top that tells what the candy is. The company is Ganong Chocolate and the Ganong family has owned and operated it since 1873. In fact they still use some of the original machines. It was worth the stop.

Staying in St. John New Brunswick, Canada. The first thing we saw when we existed the highway was Costco. From our motel room we can see McDonald's, Wendy's, Subway, Michael's just to name a few. Are we really in Canada?

The Roosevelt "cottage" 

Very far east

20161019: Bangor

Beautiful day - up to 75 degrees  and sunny.   Wanted to resolve what to do with pistol while in Canada. It proved to be a difficult task. Both gun dealer and Bangor City Police were of no help. I can't imagine they have not been asked about storing a hand gun before but they certainly acted as though this was a first. Anyway the problem was solved in a unique way and we are thankful.

There is the Penobscot river and a stream (Kenduskegg) that run through Bangor. There is a nice path alongside that we walked, also through the streets of downtown. Downtown is hilly. The sidewalks are mostly brick and very uneven. Most of the buildings are very old and it was a pleasant morning and early afternoon.

We had lunch at a quaint cafe run by Franciscan Friars. The food was excellent, the "Brothers" funny and kind. It was very busy and a number of people seemed to be well acquainted with the Friars.

Took time for a nap.

Calvary Chapel Bangor starts their Wednesday night service at 6, and because of where we are in the time zone, it was very dark when we got there. The teaching from Matthew 10 was good and encouraged us to live for Jesus even if we are not accepted. Be a witness. It was not taught by the senior pastor, Ken Graves.

20161018: Finally in Maine

We have been so blessed as far as weather this trip. Yesterday when we wanted to do things, the weather was great. Today was a travel day and most of the day was drizzly and in the high 40's low 50's.

We took the Kancamagus Highway from Lincoln, NH to Conway, NH. It took us through the White Mountains and to the unreal height of 2,688. Beautiful scenery even in drizzle. The color was all around us but became less the higher we went. As we came down the other side, the color became more vivid again. Truly the road was almost canopied in yellows, oranges, and reds.
Stopped at 2 very impressive waterfalls. Another unique feature of this region is the large amount of big rocks in the rivers.

Ate a very tasty lunch at "ALMOST There" in Conway NH.

Entered Maine 12:48pm.  Don't know how it happens but there are a lot more red-leafed trees in Maine than the other states. Also many ponds-literature says 6,000 lakes and ponds.

TRIVIA
1) Dunkin Donuts doesn't need any franchises in the west - every little berg here in the east has at least one. They are everywhere.
2) Saw the first car with California plates. Have seen no plates from west of the Mississippi except a couple Colorado and the one California. Our car has Colorado plates.

Sabbaday Falls along the Kancamagus Highway

More fall colors 

20161017: New: York to Hampshire

Another first this sunny, warm day the middle of October - a ferry ride that only took 15 minutes but in the middle took us from New York to Vermont.

The color in Vermont is the most spectacular of the trip. Not only in color but there are more hills and valleys so the contrast is very striking.  We stopped at a maple syrup place and learned some history of how the sap used to be collected and how it has evolved. A very nice presentation. There was a pretty falls (Fairfax Falls) with a power house along one side. Also stumbled onto a covered railroad bridge.

Somewhere in Vermont we went over 3000 miles in our car. We have done some traveling - and this doesn't include the 4 days Steve and Laura took us around the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

The transition from Vermont to New Hampshire took place on a bridge over the Connecticut River. We are staying just a few miles into New Hampshire in a small town named Franconia.

We tried to do some sightseeing but a tram was closed for the season, and we went to a wrong turnout and didn't see what we had hoped - got a nice walk though. We also went to a monument of a former rock formation.

Beautiful day. Drove about 200 miles in 6 hours.

Wanted to be a little reflective on several different subjects.
1) This memorial to the rock formation. It seems as though this rock looked like the face of an old man, but the formation began crumbling. A number of men went to great lengths to try and keep it in tact. It was to no avail as the rock fell. But there is much to do about the memory of the events. Just seems strange to me. And this happened almost 100 years ago.
2) Fairfax Falls. As we hiked around looking for good picture opportunities, came across a hut built of dried tree branches and stones. There was a towel hanging on a rock outside of it like someone lived there. Was reminded that even though there is much natural beauty there are still people who aren't in good places. This was also seen in Saint Johnsbury where we had lunch. There were a couple of men wandering near a Gospel Mission soup kitchen.
3) A beach in New York. There was a sign posted, "beach closed". I thought, "It can say that the beach is closed but the lake (in this case Lake Ontario) is still there. We can't stop the lake from being there by  closing the beach. I equate this to us some times putting up "walls" saying that others aren't allowed in. That doesn't mean there is nothing going on, we just try to keep others out.
4) In Saint Johnsbury there were at least 5 churches, that had very high spires,  built in the late 1800s.  At least 2 are not being used as churches anymore - found this also in other towns. One has meetings in the basement. I wondered : 1) how massive an undertaking building those churches in that time, 2) why so many so big so close together - was it glorifying to God? It made me want to do things that glorify God, even if they aren't big and stand out.


SOME OBSERVATIONS FROM EARLIER THAT FORGOT UNTIL NOW
1) There are a lot of very old cemeteries we have past-many right along side the road. Maybe we will visit one evening eventually.
2) Roads. The roads we mostly travel are more like the Sprague River Road or Bergdoff Road by Bonanza, not Highway 97.  We really are traveling back roads and we go through many small towns every day.
3) How big is New York? When we entered New York southwest of Buffalo in the north there was a sign that New York city was 490 miles. I didn't realize it was so big.
4) mums. The northeast has an affection for mums. They are everywhere and people are very creative in using them for decorating.

Church in St. Johnsbury, VT 

Fisher Bridge, Wolcott, VT

20161016: Syracuse to Plattsburgh

We woke to a cloudy but moderate day. We were warmly greeted at Calvary Chapel Syracuse-people very friendly. Worship was sweet and the message on Jesus' cry from the cross was good-reminding us of Jesus' sacrifice for us. All new people received free coffee (and coffee cup) and donuts. We did get a humorous reaction when we said this was our first time visiting, and probably wouldn't be back.

Drove through the Adirondack Mountains. Beautiful colors, although hard to capture with a camera. Most of the trip was on state highway and there were no rest areas as we know them. They have "parking areas" that are just unpaved pull offs. Many little towns but not one fast food restaurant or grocery store. Appeared to be vacation homes that were not inhabitated now. There were a number of little ice cream shops and mom-and-pop cafes that were "closed for the season. We got on an interstate about 2/3rds of the way there; with still much color alongside. It is impossible to get away from it. Very nice. We did cross the Hudson River at Riparius - which means Riverside.

We landed in Plattsburgh New York along the west shore of Lake Champlain. We do expect to be home some time before year-end... just not sure when.

Hudson River. Much smaller than it is towards the coast. 

20161015: Around Syracuse

The morning began with a stop at the Erie Canal Museum, which turned out to be one of the best museums we have seen. The building was originally a weigh station for boats on the canal. We were confused at first as we had already seen part of the Erie canal at Cuyahoga Falls National Park. We're still not clear on this, but it must have to do with different projects in different regions not coordinating their names. We first heard of this Erie Canal system at the old Fort Niagara (need to watch auto-correct one). The Erie Canal project was approved in 1817, following the end of the War of 1812. Syracuse grew tremendously during the mid-1800's because of its location within the canal system.

Had lunch at the American Diner here in Liverpool. The diner bills itself as deliberately not politically correct.

Then drove north a ways to Selkirk Shores State Park along Lake Ontario. We picked up several souvenirs (rocks) from the rocky beach to be added to the other 'precious' things collected along the way.

The fall colors along the way were spotty, with some magnificent colored trees and still much green. There were several areas where many of the trees had already lost most of their leaves. It's beginning to look like we may not have the breathtaking colors northeast calendars are made of.

On the way back we drove through Mexico on our way to Destiny USA - a huge shopping mall. So many ways to spend money, but interesting to watch, especially the go-carts and a huge amusement area featuring tight rope walking, rope bridges and the like.

A bit of fall color

20161014: Buffalo to Syracuse

The day started so clear and bright - 48 degrees. We left our motel at 9:38 for a 153 mile trip which would have taken 2 hours 20 minutes according to Google Maps. It took us 5 glorious hours. We purposely went back roads. The fall colors were stunning.

The little towns seemed "decorated" with the trees ablaze with color and the ground covered with fallen leaves.

There were quite a number of houses all decked out for Halloween. One had a large graveyard with tombstones and skeletons walking around. Never seen such an interest in Halloween.

Pumpkin "stands" every few miles. Below is a picture of how passers-by are enticed to come buy pumpkins, corn stalks and other things. Very creative.

The landscape was gentle rolling hills with corn fields-some with corn stalks still standing, others that had been chopped down and only stubble remains. The fields, unlike the Klamath Falls area where you see fields, and then you see even more fields, here you look at fields and your eyes are drawn past the fields to colorful forests that boarder the fields. There doesn't appear to be many conifers - mainly deciduous.

These country roads in the hills are a little scary. Often you come to a rise and don't know where the road is going because of lack of visibility.

Thoughout this trip we have been surprised to find ourselves in or near cities from other parts of the world.  We've been near Atlanta, Macedonia, Lima, and Hamburg. Nearly made it to Wyoming, Jordan, Rome, and Belgium. Have seen Milan, Gladstone, Portland, and Gilchrist listed on road signs.  Even Algoma! And one that seems quite Hawaiian: Kaukauna.

Almost forgot - We're in Liverpool as this is being written.

Display enticing passers-by to visit a nearby roadside pumpkin stand. Made with hay bales.

20161013: Old Fort Niagara and Niagara Falls Again

We left the motel a little after 9 am. It was cloudy and windy and 55 degrees. On the road we encountered rain but it stopped before we arriving at Fort Niagara at 10:30. It was very windy but that didn't stop us from walking the exploring the grounds and buildings. The history was fascinating. Learned so much about the French/Indian War, the conflicts between the French, British, Indians and American colonists. WOW is what I say. Left and found 'Somewhere',  a quaint little cafe /bar (4 tables and 10 bar stools). The food was wonderful - all fresh and homemade - even the rolls our sandwiches were on. Great roasted asparagus.

Then onto Niagara Falls. It wasn't supposed to be nice but was a beautiful day for viewing - 62 degrees, partly cloudy  and hardly any wind.  We walked the bridge to Canada again and walked to the famous Horseshoe Falls - about 3/4 mile each way. The views were outstanding. The one problem was, because there was no wind, the spray went straight up toward  the sky which hindered the view. Really no complaints though. We were able to walk along the river leading to both falls.

One point here. Yesterday we were quite surprised by the $0.50 'toll' to walk across the bridge. With that in mind we went well prepared with a pocket full of quarters. The turnstile that collects the toll does not seem to care if the coin is Canadian or US. We used what we had, and in doing so we paid extra considering the current exchange rate, 1.00 USD = 1.32 CAD. It was still much less expensive than other fees, taxes, tolls, and surcharges that we have encountered here in New York.

A couple of my thoughts : 1) this water is not being recycled - how in the world can there be so much water, 2) God is so creative - so many people want to see His greatness in nature. We were pooped from walking so much that we just ate snacks in our room. Wonderful day.

3D model of fort.    Wanted to let you know how big it is.

Horseshoe Falls with spray rising

20101012: Ohio, New York, and Canadian Falls

What a beautiful day. Was in the mid 50's at 8am when we left our room. There is a National Park just outside Akron - Cuyahoga. We saw 2 very nice waterfalls, a very weird bug, and learned about the Erie Canal. Started for Buffalo, NY - have to go through part of PA to get there. After looking at the weather forecast for tomorrow (Thursday - only supposed to be in the 50's with rain) , we decided to hit Niagara Falls today.

Arrived at 3pm. Looked around, took pictures. I-Karen-actually climbed a bunch of steps to be in the spray. Got soaked but it was worth it. The temperature was 75.  We walked into Canada, took some more picture, ate dinner at Hard Rock Cafe Niagara Falls. We then walked back to the states after paying $0.50 each to walk through the Canadian Customs building, drove to our motel,  checked in, then drove to Calvary Chapel Niagara Frontier. Good service, nice people. Back to the room at 9pm. Wonderful day.

We added driving along Lake Erie to our list. When I posted the lakes I forgot that we went to several places on Lake Superior and the wonderful boat tour.

Brandywine Falls in Cuyahoga Valley National Park

American Falls and Niagara Falls

20161011: Back to Ohio

It was so nice to visit with our friends but they had things to do (we only gave them 2 day notice that we were coming). Left about 10:30. Yesterday we took interstate highways to get to our destination quickly. Today we took the senic route through the country. The hills of West Virginia and Ohio are beautiful. There are many trees, lots of little critters, beautiful valleys, amazing farm land. Some populated areas seemed depressed with homes and buildings not kept very well. Some areas seemed to be thriving. VERY WINDING and narrow roads so didn't travel very fast, and no place to pull over to take pictures . Also drove along the Ohio River for a number of miles. Large industries along the river. So far we have driven the shores of: Western and Northern Lake Michigan, Western Lake Huron, and the Ohio River. So fun.
Arrived here just outside Akron about 4:15. Did laundry, ate dinner. I used the pool for awhile while Chuck worked hard on getting these posts easier to access.

20161010: Ohio, West Virginia Friends

Last Friday, the 7th, we traveled Ohio north to south. Today we traveled Ohio west to east - from near Indiana to West Virginia. We did didn’t do any sight seeing. Traffic was much better. Arrived at our friend's house (Tom and Kari who lived across the street from us in Klamath 20 years ago). It was such a fun reunion we talked and talked. We ate and talked some more. We taught them Zilch and 3-13. And we talked more. Got to bed a little after midnight. So fun.

20161009: Church and Creation Museum

This was more like a day at home. Got up and went to church. Very friendly people, good teaching from Isaiah 58 on living for God and no ourselves. Ate some lunch and went to the Creation Museum about 20 minutes away. The displays were very well done and showed the evidence for creation of the earth by the sovereign God. It was a beautiful day and the grounds of the museum were lovely. Had a nice walk. Back to the room by 4. Rested, ate and caught up on little things, packed for the next several days. And yes we watched the debate.

Not nearly so busy but a day of rest.

20161008: Arc Encounter

Left our motel at 8:55. It was sunny, breezy, clear and 54 degrees. Arrived at the Arc Encounter at 10am after going from Ohio, through a portion of Indiana and into Kentucky (where the Arc is located). Took 1/2 hour to get our tickets and get to the Arc by bus. Started into the Arc at 10:30. It is HUGE! I remember teaching the kids in VBS about the size but does it ever look unreal in real life. It was very well laid out and very interesting how many animals it could hold and the vast amount of room. It really has to be seen to be appreciated. God truly is all knowing in design, details and sovereignty. We finished taking in what we could by 1pm. It didn't take nearly as long to get back to the car. Ate some lunch and off to discover 2 working covered Bridges (1 in Indiana and one in Ohio). Once we got close to them the roads and surrounding areas were very pleasant. Went to a couple of stores to get a couple of things we needed and arrived at the motel at 6. Ate in and relaxed.

Side note. There are a lot of interstate highways in this are, most of them are 3 or 4 lanes each way, the speed limits are high and there is a lot of traffic.
Something that I wanted in the "record" for Michigan but didn't put in earlier:

Michigan loves Halloween. Before October 1 there were numerous houses decked out with witches, pumpkins, corn stalks, website. It is incredible-a month before.

A panoramic picture of the Arc

Jediah Hill Bridge, Ohio

20161007: South into Ohio

The day began quite early as we were on the road shortly after sunrise. All proceeded well until we neared Ann Arbor. By 8:00 we had successfully avoided two freeway exits which would have taken us to Flint (didn't need any more bottled water at the time). Southern Michigan freeways seem quite similar to what we've found in Ohio. Every major interchange is a construction nightmare with closed exits, ad hoc lane controls, and general mayhem.
Ann Arbor was no different, and at one point the our GPS navigation stated in a typical matter of fact tone,  "I'm not sure I can help with the left two lanes." We did make it though the construction after taking the next exit and back tracking.

Neither of us had been to Ohio before, so today was another first. But unlike Wisconsin and Michigan where we traveled state and county roads, today it was almost all interstates… Except for the one time navigation told us of an accident ahead and found an alternative route that was seven minutes faster. We accepted, and obediently followed the directions through several neighborhoods until we were led back onto the freeway 50 yards beyond the accident. We both agree that Ohio has been underwhelming if for no other reason than we haven't put time into it - just one of the hazards of freeway driving, and one we don't want to become a habit.

We stopped at the Air Force Museum (http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil) in Dayton and wandered about the four huge buildings full of planes, rockets, helicopters and the like from the Kitty Hawk era to present. Tremendous experience, and admission was free.
Arrived in Harrison Ohio before dinner and preparing for the next few days.

XB-70 Valkyrie

20161006: Lake Huron

After being loaded to the gills with all sorts of good things to eat, we left our wonderful host home at 8:30. We traveled in light fog as we drove along the top of Lake Michigan. Crossed the Mackinac Bridge and  began our way down the west side of Lake Huron. Visited the Cheboygan Lighthouse. Further down the road we stopped at 40 Mile Lighthouse; which is a  working lighthouse. Great stop. Went a little further to Rogers City, ate some lunch at a park and went to the Great Lakes Lore Maritime Museum. Fascinating place that is dedicated to people who served on ships. Great place. And the museum host gave us some useful information about Nova Scotia - when we finally get there. Rogers City is also home to the world's largest limestone mine. We drove to that and took some pictures-impressive. Arrived in Birch Run, MI about 6:30. Traveled less than 300 milesI and are still in Michigan . At this rate we won't be back to Oregon until 2017😃

Working lighthouse at 40 mile point.

Mackinac Bridge.

20161005: Relaxing

After breakfast and discussion it was decided that we would go to Steve and Laura's favorite beach and collect rocks. What a great place on the shore of Lake Superior-a sandy beach with many interesting rocks. Steve, Laura and  Chuck collected rocks and Karen just sat in a chair and watched. After a while brought out our picnic lunch and as we were eating it started getting dark and then could watch the rain as it came towards us. We quickly packed up and left. By the time we got to the highway the rain had stopped but we went home anyway. Karen took a a nap and the others visited. We ate dinner (pasties from a small specialty restaurant) and started getting ready to leave. Wonderful day. No pictures.

20161004: Newberry, Lighthouse, 2 Waterfalls

Started out at 9:40.  Drove east through part of Newberry. Went to a great light house but had to drive on packed sand road for about 20 miles. Stopped once and photographed mushrooms for over an hour. Crisp Point Lighthouse was great - climbing the 93 steps to the top gave a great view of coast. Got good pictures of that part of Lake Superior and the beaches around it. Beaches were full of great beach rocks (we even have some to bring home. Ate the best fish and chips lunch at Brown's Fisheries in Paradise, MI. Quilt shop next door had different fabrics and new patterns to try. Explored Lower and Upper Tahquamenon (rhymes with phenomenon) Falls. Falls were good but water is brown caused by tannins leached from cedar swamps upstream. Came back through another part of Newberry. Home about 6:30. Ate dinner and watched a video on ship Edmond Fitzgerald which sank in Lake Superior 41 years ago.

Another fun but long day.

Mushroom along the road

Crisp Point Lighthouse

Upper Tahquamenon Falls (about 48 feet drop)

20161003: Western Upper Peninsula

Left "home" at a little after 9. It was foggy, but by the time we had gone 50 miles west it was  clear and sunny. Saw 3 waterfalls, several lighthouses and had a nice picnic lunch. Also took many pictures of mushrooms - didn't know there were so many types. At 5pm we boarded the "Grand Island" tour boat for a 2 1/2 hour tour of the Painted Rocks of the Lake Superior shoreline. It was quite spectacular. "Home" at 9pm. Wonderful full day of great sights and family time.

Miner's Falls

Sample of the miles of Painted Rock shoreline.

20161002: Seney National Wildlife Refuge

We spent a good portion of the day at Seney NWR (https://www.fws.gov/refuge/seney) , where Steve and Laura often volunteer. Wandered the back roads of the 95,000 acre refuge and saw many types of birds, plants,  and mushrooms.

It is a little early for fall color, but some color has come early.
After leaving the NWR we drove to near Manistique and saw saw an old light house, Seul Choix Pointe Lighthouse (see below).

Fall color at one of the ponds at Seney NWR

Seul Choix Pointe Lighthouse

20161001: Into Michigan

We left Appleton in the morning, heading north through Green Bay and beyond.

Mostly on the road, so not so much to report. Crossed into Michigan at about 1130.

Found a fun greasy-spoon diner in Escanaba - Rosie's Diner. It's fun to watch the locals interact, and by the time the meal came we fealt like locals ourselves.
Past another drive-in theater in Manistee, the second so far (the other in Appleton).
Arrived at Steve and Laura's at about 4:30pm, beginning of a great visit.

Many spires throughout the region.

20160930: Wisconsin

After a great visit with John and Pat we departed McHenry, and reentered Wisconsin. Lots of rain and traffic.
We took some time at Port Washington to grab lunch and walk around the wharf area -  which was our first exposure to the Great Lakes. It was quite windy and thus had some good sized waves. Nothing like the Oregon coast, but sizable for a lake. There we saw the 'Dennis Sullivan', a three-masted 'tall ship' tied up along the sea wall. We were able to walk up close and look, but not board. Most of the pictures we took ended up on the blurry side.
North East of Green Bay is a farming and dairy area around Algoma where there are quite a few 'quilt barns' - historic barns that have various quilt patterns painted on them. Out of the eighteen or so listed in a travel guide we had we did find eight.

Stopped at a cheese store, Wakker Cheese, in Kewaunee. Good stuff!
From there we actually back tracked some to Appleton (south west of Green Bay) for the night.