The Way North.....to Maine

It's been a while since I've written a new post....the trip north has been all encompassing, but wonderful at the same time. To keep things a little more brief...II will provide an overview of my travels north. After leaving D.C. I traveled to Lynchburg to visit my older brother and sister-in-law. I stayed at Smith Mountain Lake - a gorgeous state park that is the nicest state park I've visited to date. While in Virginia, we took a day to Chateau Morrissette - a charming vineyard that looks like it is transplanted from France. Located in Floyd, VA., it is a well established winery that boasts some excellent wines. Next I passed through Hagerstown,MD where I stayed at a KOA campground right along a rural country stream. While there I took some time to visit the Antietam Battlefield before I left the next day for Hickory Run State Park, just south of Wilkes-Barr, PA. Pennsylvannia has so many wonderful state parks...Due to the incessant rain, I wasn't able to do as much hiking and exploring in Hickory Run as i would have liked, but it is definitely a place to revisit. It wasn't until I passed over the mountains north of Harrisburg, PA that I saw the beginnings of some real fall foliage colors. Apparently all the rain from Hurricane Irene and afterwards has delayed the changing of colors. In any case, after PA, the next big display of colors didn't appear until Cape Cod. However after PA, I headed for the Hudson River Valley - a place I've always wanted to see. I wasn't disappointed...I stayed at Round Pond Recreation Center - a picturesque, military facility just south of the Military Academy at West Point. When I arrived there it was pouring rain. So, as a result.....I had to back the travel trailer into a hilly, forested spot...getting it leveled in the downpour. Not the worst event to happen, but certainly not an event I wish to repeat anytime soon. Beiing in the Hudson River Valley made up for any difficulty I may have had...it is indeed breathtaking! Visited a couple of the many famous estates that dot the Hudson River including Kykuit, the Rockefeller mansion in Tarrytown and FDR's home in Hyde Park. A person could spend months seeing all the "homes" along the Hudson River Valley.....suffice it to say that it is a magnet for the very wealthy. Before departing this fabulously beautiful area, I drove into NYC to have dinner with a close friend of mine. My friend has recently become the president of SUNY Maritime located at Fort Schulyer and passing this close to NYC allowed me to visit her at her new abode. Although I love the energy and diversity of NYC, I don't care for the congestion and how dirty the city looks especially in the winter time. Next stop after NY was a transient "overnight" at a campsite outside New Haven, Conn. nothing really remarkable about this area except that Conn seems very neat and very quaint. Since I have been in such a rush to get to Maine before things close down...I have been rushing through many areas I would have normally taken more time to enjoy and explore. So on to Newport, RI. Actually I stayed at Fisherman's Memorial Park in Narragansett. This campsite was probably one of the best I've stayed at. Plus it was only a short drive up to Newport....where one can enjoy amazing seafood...I certainly did. Went to the Red Parrot and devoured a seared tuna with wasabe and soy reduction....yumm! On to Cape Cod. I was shocked to see how rural Cape Cod is. I found Cape Cod to be intoxicating....the town, the people, the scenery. Took the opportunity to ride the ferry over to Martha's Vineyard. The weather was unusually warm for Columbus Day...about 80. Wow, this was definitely not what I was expecting...what a delightful surprise. Alas, finally I make it into a campsite on 10 Oct near Kennebunk, Maine and before the snow!!! It is clear that I am arriving at the far end of the season. Up this way, things close down beginning Columbus Day. Generally there is little open after 31 October. That fact alone has determined my travel plans. So after spending too much money at the shops in Freeport (home of L.L. Bean) I made my way up to Bar Harbor. Oh, Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park......simply and totally spectacular. I love Maine......it is a sportsman's paradise. The outdoors here is ruggedly beautiful and striking. I would easily stay here for an extended period of time if it were not for the closing of things (I.e., no place to stay in a RV). unfortunately all things close up...water is turned off on or about 23 Oct so, guess I'll be headed back south for a while. By the way, it is no easy task to chart a path back south and find places to stay. After talking with seasoned RVers that make their way south from Maine.....many just stop at Walmart parking lots until they get far enough south to find RV campsites that are open. From what I can tell, once you get south of PA, you can pretty well find open campsites. Acadia National Park is a national treasure. The range of scenery in this park is uncanny...from mountains to rugged, rocky coastlines to hemlock forests - all spectacular. It is an ideal place to hike, bike, kayak or just sit and soak up the beauty. This part of Maine is also a place for those who love lobster, mussels, clam chowder and wild blueberries - epicurean delights I have taken full advantage of while here. Enough for now...photos to follow. The grand adventure continues.......