Day 8, Home, Oswego, NY

Day 8, Home, Oswego, NY - 133.2 miles, 795.9 for the trip.

The predicted rain didn't start until after breakfast, just in time to get me as I packed up the trailer. Actually, there wasn't much to packing up; just putting away the Anderson Levelers. I didn't even run down the stabilizers so it was only a 30 second job to get ready to go.

I pretty much followed NY 3 through the Adirondacks, argued with Matilda, my GPS as to whether staying on 3 or hopping on I 81 for 40 miles was the best route. I picked NY Rt 3. Lots of small towns, in including one larger one (Watertown, NY) but a pleasant drive even in the rain.

I arrived in Oswego around 1:00, parked the trailer for a couple of months, but am putting off unloading until tomorrow.

I decided I didn't want to cook, so since Rudy's is closed (only open Wednesday through Sunday until Memorial Day), I headed to Price Chopper for their popcorn shrimp dinner.

Until Next Time -

Day 7, Cranberry Lake State Park, NY

Site 50

Day 7, Cranberry Lake State Park, NY - 91.3 miles, 752.7 for the trip.

While I could have made it home in one shot, I decided that since I'm in the Adirondack park with my trailer, why not stay another night? It is funny, I have tent camped in the Adirondacks a bunch of times, many with my parents when I was living in Croton-on-Hudson, NY down in Westchester county. Since moving to upstate NY less than a couple of hours drive from the Adirondacks, I've made a number of Fall trips to photograph the colors, but since most of the campgrounds are closed, never taken the trailer, and, since the Fall nights generally get into the low 20's, stay in motels. Even many of the motels are closed for the season. One would thing they could make enough with the Leaf Peepers to stay open, but few do.

So, here I am in the Cranberry Lake State Park. This is the furthest west campground on NY 3, and is huge. 171 sites, all dry, and many only suitable for tents or a small Class C or B RV. They let you cruise the campground with a list of open sites, pick one out, then go back & pay. I'm in a pull through about 1/2 way to the end of the campground and not too far from the bathroom. Unfortunately, the showers are much further away. Good AT&T coverage, fair Verizon with an amp, but fading between no service & one bar on my phone without an amp. Neither are very fast, particularly uploading. The site price is $2.00 more than the DEC campground last night at $22.75.

The infamous Adirondack Black Flies are out, but not too bad, particularly after I fired up my Thermacell. It worked well combined with a light breeze. When the wind was blowing the bugs went away, and when it stopped, they moved on. I spent most of the day outside reading and enjoying the sun.

Dinner was a Quorn "Chicken" patty (tastes like chicken, but is a vegetarian product) my daughter recommended, along with fresh asparagus.

Until Tomorrow -

Day 6, Lincoln Pond DEC Campground, NY

The View From Site 8, Lincoln Pond DEC Campground

Day 6, Lincoln Pond DEC Campground, NY - 254.5 miles, 661.4 for the trip.

The rain eased off during our late dinner, although it never completely stopped until midnight or so (hard to tell with the trees dripping). We headed to the pavilion for another pancake breakfast, but I guess the campground decided there weren't enough of us left to make it worth it to do breakfast. There was a coffee pot, so all was not lost. Yesterday we walked to the office to make reservations for next year. They have a policy that if the people on a site want it for next year & reserve before the end of the rally, they have first dibs on the site. We wanted to switch to a couple of the lakeside sites & reserved 48 & 50, but discovered this morning that the couple on site 48 are coming back. Not sure of those on 50. So, we may be back on the same sites for next year.

I packed up the trailer and was on the road by 9:00. Lots of secondary roads with a few short drives on interstates to get to the Warrensburg Travel Park. A unique way to check in - there is a walkie talkie in a basket with instructions on how to use it to call the office staff. When they finally arrived, I discovered that a campground that was labeled mid priced by AllStays was $60.00 per night. Feeling cheap, I headed to the Lake George Battleground State Park. A great location, but the campground was closed.

During my search for campgrounds yesterday, I found a DEC campground that opened the day before near Elizabethtown, NY. A bit further north than I was planning to stop, but it gives me an excuse to drive through the Adirondack Park to get home tomorrow. Much more interesting than NY 5 or NY 20. I'm in site 8, a dry, almost level pull through site with a great view of the pond at $20.75 per night. I didn't need to unhook from the truck, although the tongue is about a 1/4 bubble high. There are hot showers, but they are at the swimming bath house a fair distance away. The nearby bathroom does not have showers. A site photo is on today's LakeshoreImages page.

Connectivity is good on both AT&T & Verizon, although the upload speed for AT&T choked when I accidentally attempted to upload full sized (12.5MB) versions of today's photos. I forgot to switch from the full sized jpg setting I used for the group photo yesterday. By the way, Verizon had no problem with the large files, but I reloaded my normal sized images. I spent what was left of the afternoon reading, then fired up the oven for a Boston Market Chicken Pot pie, my first.

Day 5, Chocorua KOA , Chocorua, NH

Day 5, Chocorua KOA , Chocorua, NH - 0 miles, 406.9 for the trip.

We spent the morning doing trailer tours. I didn't get to see too many since there was lots of interest in the Lagun table mount I added to the Escape & spent most of the time giving tours. After the tours we sat outside Anne & Guido's trailer until the rain started. Fairly light rain, but it started around 3:00 and continued well into the evening.

Around 6:30 there was a talk & listen session at the rec room. We talked about solar, trailers, and travel.

Dinner was Anne's Chicken Artichoke over pasta.

Until Tomorrow

Day 4, Chocorua KOA , Chocorua, NH & the Spring Fling

Jerry, The Rally Host Grilling Chicken

Day 4, Chocorua KOA , Chocorua, NH - 0 miles, 406.9 for the trip.

I slept in this morning, mostly because I didn't turn on the electric heater last night and it was down to 58°F in the trailer at 7:00AM. It was cool most of the day, although lots of sun. I did some reading, both on the computer & a book on the Kindle. I finished the current one (Red Hope by John Dreese) and started a real hardcover book (Bermuda Schwartz by Bob Morris). I've read a couple of Morris' books and enjoy them; found it at the campground library.

We all headed to the pavilion around 2:00 for the campground one pot cooking demonstration and recipe trading. A little later it was time for the pot luck dinner. Jerry (the rally host) grilled a pile of chicken thighs, and, with the usual sides to pass, there was plenty of great food for all. After the dinner there was a raffle. While I didn't win anything, Guido won a radio I tried to give him earlier. The donations from Escape Trailer Industries were appreciated by many.

Dinner was the pot luck. More photos at the update to the Spring Fling page.

Until Tomorrow -