The Granite State

Departing Maine we moved on to North Conway, New Hampshire. It was dark and rainy when we finally found our campground, a less than desirable respite. It was sandy with tall pines, and as the water rose in a deep pit behind us, our levelers sank a couple of inches into the wet sand. We attended services at First Baptist Church the next day and visited the old covered bridge (1890) over the Saco River. More rain drove us back to the campground. Next morning, we pulled our rigs out of the muck and parked in North Conway to take a scenic train ride in greatly improved weather. Along the rails were glimpses of water and sweeping terrain, but trees precluded multiple photo shots. We drove on to awesome Lake Winnipesaukee, a glorious New Hampshire treasure, and were pleased to enter a half-price Campground USA RV park. Both we and travel mates had bubbling streams bordering our respective serene, shady sites, and we agreed that it would be great to spend a week there. Shhhhh! Maybe we’ll try it the next time the International Airstream Rally is held in the Northeast.

We really took advantage of Lake Winnipesaukee the next two days. The lakeside rail ride was much better than the one we had experienced in North Conway. Lovely cottages and docks made us wish we could spend a full summer there. We toured Lucknow, known as the Castle In The Clouds, located on 5500 acres in the Ossippee mountain range. Thomas Plant, a diminutive French-Canadian immigrant who made his fortune manufacturing shoes in Roxbury, MA, built his grand mansion overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee Valley during 1913-14. He retired at the age of 51 but lost his fortune during the Great Depression and had only his home by the time of his death in 1941. His widow, Olive, continued to live at “Lucknow” until her death years later. The mansion, complete with carriage house, is still in its original condition and maintained by a foundation. Mr. Plant was known for his concern for his employees, and he endowed The Plant Home, an assisted living facility. His reasons for doing so have become the vision of the home. "This home is founded on my sincere belief that those who have lived honest, industrious lives and are wtihout means or friends to care for them, have earned the right to be cared for. Only through the labor and expenditures of others is it possible." Mr. Plant endowed the home with 3,300 shares of his shoe company, equating to $400,000 at the time. The home located on the banks of the Kennebec River in Bath, ME still provides private apartments and assisted living care to low-income elders. Thomas Plant was a kind, generous man born before his time.

On the historic morning of Senator Kennedy’s death we elected to take a relaxing two and one-half hour cruise on a large vessel across the magnificent lake. We observed the flags at half-staff as new passengers boarded at Wolfeboro, supposedly America’s oldest summer resort. There was some sunshine during our cruise, but the sky was mostly overcast. We kept wondering as we peered at over 100 little islands on the lake how history might have been changed had it not been for that fateful night at Chappaquiddick. Our last day near the lake was spent doing a morning tour and relaxing in the afternoon. Several times we had driven by abandoned Bob’s Repair Shop located a couple of miles from our campground. Jerry could not resist going back for a photo before leaving the area. While shooting, as fate would have it, a man pulling a big brown cow on a long rope emerged from behind the dilapidated old garage. “Is this your building?” Jerry asked. “Yep” replied the man. “Ok to get a photo?” “I don’t care,” said Bob. “I’d like to get one of you too,” said a smiling Jerry. “Nope, can’t do that,” Bob retorted as he disappeared behind his house. Shucks, folks up here are so independent. “Live free or die” is their motto. There was probably an interesting story there about stoical farmer Bob and his defunct business, but Jerry will never know it.

A New Hampshire visit is not complete without a trip to Concord. On our way to Massachusetts, we parked in a strip mall that Lloyd and Elaine discovered near the State House. It seemed to be the only place two big rigs could find enough room to get off the busy streets. We were touched by the Capitol’s simple wooden interior. It does not boast the rich imported marble that adorns many capitol buildings. Its original legislative chambers have been used since the building was constructed (1816-1819), the only capitol to boast that record. The exterior of the building is of granite—tough like its native residents—and is of Greek revival style. Favorite sons include President Franklin Pierce, Astronaut Alan Shepard, and Daniel Webster. The first statesmen to shout out against slavery were from New Hampshire. Mary Baker Eddy, founder of the Christian Science Church, was from New Hampshire. Near the Capitol were a master craftsman furniture exhibit and a Lincoln exhibition. We took those in before departing the area. We learned that when he was a Congressman, Lincoln was friendly with New Hampshire abolitionists, who perhaps indirectly influenced the Emancipation Proclamation several years later.

Majestic Maine

After four nights on Prince Edward Island we returned through part of New Brunswick and were delighted to cross over into Calais, Maine and the good old USA. The long line of travelers behind our rigs facilitated our entry; the officer said that normally he would want to inspect our trailer. We immediately purchased fuel at a reasonable cost compared with Canadian prices and made our way to the first Campground USA RV Park we could find. These parks are not usually five-star quality, but they provide half-price rates to members. The next morning we planned to drive picturesque Coastal Route 1 all the way to Bar Harbor but ended up taking a shortcut; the 100-mile journey went quickly.
Bar Harbor is a well-known tourist town, filled with gift shops and wonderful restaurants famous for their fantastic seafood. Elegant yachts, sailboats, and a large schooner grace the quiet harbor. For the next few days, we mostly did our own thing, and Lloyd and Elaine did the same. They are huge fans of lobster and ate it daily. Our favorite simplistic meal consisted of two big containers of the most delectable clam chowder you can imagine along with a berry sweet roll. Carrying our meal to the local city park, we ate while seated in our folding chairs, and listened to live jazz music on a perfect, mosquito-free evening. Afterward we met Lloyd and Elaine by accident at a nearby ice cream parlor, where we sat outside and reflected on our day. Near Bar Harbor is famous Acadia National Park, one of the 10 most visited. It is known for its rich diversity and tranquility rather than for any one distinguishing geological feature. It is surrounded by water, which is much prettier in June, the month of our 2003 visit. Because the surrounding water drops toward late summer and leaves a lot of brown vegetation on the huge granite rocks, the park sacrifices much of its beauty, rich luster, and charm. We did take one long hike over a sometimes-rocky wooded trail that revealed Ship Harbor at a couple of points.

One of the highpoints of our visit was a walking two-hour tour of Bar Harbor with Lloyd, Elaine and our stylish, articulate guide. She has been coming to the area since she was a child and really knows her history. In the beginning, many famous wealthy families like the Fords and Morgans came to “Desert Island” (pronounced like dessert) to spend the hot summers. Soon they built elegant, mostly-frame mansions they called cottages. They called themselves “Rusticators,” as they preferred a rustic environment compared with manicured Newport, RI, where the “cottages” are more elaborate and made of rock and imported marble. Rusticators were mostly liberal Democrats--rich Republicans preferred Newport. We were told of the horrible fire of 1947 that obliterated much of Bar Harbor to include most of the mansions. However, some still remain as shown here in our photos.

Another day we drove to the small, much-photographed Bass Harbor Lighthouse. The quaint frontal view is clearly visible from the water, but unless one is on a boat, a memorable photo is impossible. Jerry made a valiant attempt to capture the best view by climbing (sometimes crawling) from the bank several feet onto some big rocks frequented by a couple of young artists, but the photo results were mediocre. These artists were trying to capture the rocky coast rather than the lighthouse they couldn't see well. They had to wonder, “What is this old man thinking?”

On our last day on the island, we retreated to the nearby town of Ellsworth with its elegant City Building. Our Tundra pickup needed a 5000-mile service; a quality repair shop seemed to reach out to us, and the price was right. We also did our laundry in a clean facility, had a great seafood lunch, and visited the best kitchen store we have even frequented. It was located in an old three-story mansion next to a scenic, tranquil river and was a better place to purchase gifts than glitzy Bar Harbor. Gloria had her hand x-rayed at a clinic that provided first-class service. The cracked bone was pronounced "completely healed” after a break on July 4 back in Madison, WI. The brace has been removed, but the hand is still sore and a bit swollen at times.

On our way to New Hampshire we passed by Augusta and visited the Capitol, which was closed on weekends. We did shoot some photos of the exterior and toured the historic State Museum located next to the capitol. Fortuitously, Saturday admission was free. There were many interesting exhibits, one being a big belt-driven saw similar to the one used in Jerry’s parents’ sawmill, which they operated near LaSal, Utah in the late 1920s.

Moncton, NB and Prince Edward Island

Lloyd and Elaine left Riverview on Sunday to visit FDR’s summer retreat, Campobello, which we had toured a few years ago. We bid Eric and Norma farewell, drove on to Moncton the next day, catching up with mail, phone calls, and laundry. Tuesday we visited over lunch with our good Canadian friends Gloria and former diplomat Mike. We had all lived in Vienna, VA and had attended Providence Baptist Church 30 years ago. We hope they will soon visit Texas instead of wintering in Florida, their usual habit.
Lloyd and Elaine arrived at the campground on Tuesday evening. The four of us met Judy and Al, hosts for our Columbia Baptist Sunday School Reunion. The latter was the main reason we had come to PEI. Other attendees had also arrived early, and we all enjoyed a seafood dinner at the Magic Mountain Restaurant. Afterward our hosts invited us to their wonderful seaside home in Shediac Bridge. The lovely house, Judy’s family summer place as a child, has been expanded from a cottage into a beautifully decorated, comfortable home. Our reunion group has been meeting every two years for the past ten. This was our first time to attend. Our group is more like family; we pray for each other, trust one another with personal needs, and laugh together easily. All 27 of us descended on Stanhope Beach Resort on Prince Edward Island (PEI) for four days. Lloyd, Elaine and we were the only RVers, and camped at Vacationland Resorts RV Park a few minutes from the lodge. Each day was filled with sharing, touring, shopping, and eating—much EATING. PEI is the birth place of the Canadian Confederation.

Several highlights of our four days on PEI were a river cruise on a converted lobster boat with our group, a lobster feast and exploring three scenic island loops. While on the cruise we were entertained by two capable musicians, one on the sax and his father-in-law on the guitar. Anne of Green Gables is a huge draw for tourists in PEI. Many of our group attended the play in Charlottetown while we and Lloyd and Elaine elected to drive to the northeast coast to investigate lighthouses and photograph many quaint churches that pervade the island. We were treated to a hands-on unloading of hundreds of mackerel on the north coast in the Gulf of St Lawrence. The fish were to be sent to the other side of Northumberland Bay in New Brunswick to be used as bait in the lobster traps. Lobster seasons vary with location to prevent over-fishing any one area. On another exploring day, we visited the Point Prim lighthouse, the tallest and only round brick lighthouse on the island. We were delighted to find a cozy little seaside shack that served delicious sandwiches and had a most romantic porch view, including a swooping great blue heron. We did a little touring in the Capital, Charlottetown. One night we walked the wharf, had a fabulous fish dinner and attended a laser light show projected on an historic building.

Our last night at Stanhope was topped off with a delicious dinner of grilled hot dogs, corn on the cob, salad, and pie ala mode. Bidding each other farewell, we committed to be better correspondents and more faithful prayer warriors. We expressed heart-felt thanks to Judy and Al (left) for their two years of comprehensive planning to make the reunion a (memorable occasion. We had driven our rigs over the (Confederation Bridge from New Brunswick for free, but on the return we were slapped with a healthy $63 fee. Guess they wanted us to stay on PEI.

Camping on the Banks of the Iroquois

Imagine being camped in 78-degree weather at the bend of a lovely river, which roars over high rocks above and then rolls calmly downstream around an elbow and small beach. That was the lovely view we enjoyed for two weeks. We had a lot of rain during the first week, and the river rose. But the weather was perfect during week two. Our traveling buddies, Lloyd and Elaine, and we have known Eric and Norma, owners of Riverside Campground on the Iroquois in Saint Basile, New Brunswick, for several years. They are fellow Airstreamers, and we all belong to the same Northern Virginia club. As well, Eric and Norma lease a home in the North Texas Airstream Community (NTAC) where our home is located, so in the winter months they close Riverside and move to Texas just a few homes up the street from us.

Over a year ago, we committed to visiting our friends/neighbors in Canada and working as campground volunteers for a couple of weeks. Our jobs consisted of painting, light carpentry, serving free morning coffee to guests, collating and folding newsletters and hosting a couple of happy hours for campers. Jerry developed an evaluation form for registrants, which was immediately implemented. It must be added that the first group of evaluations we read rated the campground as outstanding, and it was the best one we found in Canada.

The six of us had a lot of fun reminiscing about old times, eating, socializing, and attending a couple of community events. We learned that owning an RV park is a deminding business, which requires about 12 hours per day, seven days per week. While Eric and Norma’s summer travels are limited, they have six months off to do Airstreaming in gentle winter climates like Texas. Eric is like a big human machine as he vigorously tackles the ever-changing tasks of the day. Norma is the quintessential helpmate, computer guru, and business partner. Things really wind up from 4:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. as new campers arrive. Both of them are moving rapidly during these hours, and their golf cart seems to accrue more mileage than their car and van. They have one full-time maintenance man and a couple of trusty volunteers. One of the latter, Pierre is shown left fleeing as he dropped a rotten tree. Roger, the former owner, has a tractor and looks after the place during the winter months. The awesome Iroquois River, which parallels the campground, is both friend and foe. It is the gorgeous focal point of the park. Yet, twice in the last two years, when the dam is opened upstream near Toronto, the park has been completely flooded except for the office and doublewide home that serves as their summer quarters. A campsite bathroom and laundry are both mounted on wheels so they can be pulled to the high ground in off-season.

We did some touring while in Edmundston. We crossed over the St. John River into border-town Madawaska, ME to pick up our mail, visit McDonalds, and purchase fuel and milk as a price much cheaper than in Canada. On one trip we also visited the library and did our laundry. Supposedly this is the most northerly laundromat in the contiguous U.S. One Saturday the six of us attended a festival in Edmundston and another Saturday we visited awesome Grand Falls several miles downstream from the camp. There we went to the farmers market and toured a small local museum. Gloria was delighted to find an antique hair curler like the one in her hometown beauty shop. Once each year, she departed from the shop looking like Little Orphan Annie.

We searched for a church in Edmundston, but sadly most of the protestant churches have closed. On our first Sunday, we finally elected to attend a bilingual Pentecostal Church with Lloyd; Elaine had a headache. The music was clamorous, the hand clapping was vibrant, and the pastor’s message was on target. However, speaking in tongues is foreign to us, and when uttered in both French and English, it was a bit overwhelming. The next Sunday, we attended “TV church” in our rigs beside the sunny, bubbling river.

The first night we arrived at Riverside, Norma (left photo) already had dinner prepared for us. Before we departed two weeks later, she and Eric served a wonderful lobster feast for all six of us.