September 1 - Wilmington, NY

Starting Mileage - 50626

It was coolish again this morning. We had coffee and a short intense disagreement (fight) about how and where to spend the Labor Day weekend. I want to settle somewhere for three days, and Deb wants to keep moving.

I did not say that I wanted to keep moving. I said we had been moving every day and how would he know where we would end up and for him to figure out where he wanted to stay and make arrangements to stay there. So his interpretation is that I want to keep moving. We'll see what tomorrow brings. At the end of today…Wednesday…no arrangements have been made for the upcoming holiday weekend.

We rented a canoe for four hours to paddle up and down the beautiful river in front of our campground. This time it was Deb's turn to drive and be the captain. This started intense disagreement (fight) #2. The canoe kept zigzagging down the river or heading into the bank instead of going in a straight line. I think it's because Deb is a bad driver. She thinks it's because I kept switching paddle sides. Thankfully, however, most of the trip was cordial, and the scenery was absolutely gorgeous. We finally decided that the two of us in a canoe was the same as being on a tandem bicycle which is something we vowed we would never do… in spite of Tom Schneck's advice to the contrary. We both always want to drive.

He is not capable of following instruction. When we went down the other river, I let him navigate and tell me what to do. Today was my turn…he paddles when he wants, he switches sides, he increases his stroke strength…all without any notice to me in the back. The thought of riding a tandem with him is horrifying. But as he said we had a great morning. The river is actually dammed slightly below the campground, so we headed upstream away from the town and campground. It got quieter. We wove our way through the rushes at the river's edge looking for animals. Only saw one beaver dam. Some ducks and frogs…not too much.

When we returned we hopped on the bicycles to ride to this gorge we had read about. I thought it was a couple of miles up the road near a KOA campground I had seen. After first stopping in town at a 50s diner we found, we discovered that it was not this campground but one a 40-minute drive away. Bob really wanted to do this because we thought we could rent duckies or inner tubes and have a water experience. When we got there, we discovered that they charged $13 to walk down the gorge and back plus $6 more to ride another 3/4 mile in a raft or $6 more for a duckie upgrade (an inflatable kayak). It would have cost $50 and Bob doesn't like to look over cliffs anyway. We told them they were charging too much and drove back to our river.

September 2 - Wilmington, NY (in the Adirondacks)

Starting Mileage - 50678

A wonderful morning - nice and cool - good cuddling weather. We woke up and didn't know where to go other than to visit Fort Ticonderoga. I wanted to show Deb where the pencils were made. So off we went. Nice fort, but it was $12/person, and we didn't think it was worth it so we took the ferry across Lake Champlain from New York to Vermont. We have seen enough old forts, and we can always read about it later. We're becoming jaded.

We amassed a great deal of information about Vermont on the ferry, but we still had no direction in mind. This is Labor Day weekend, and we have no place to go. We cruised Vermont for a while and we are now in some beat up campground on the shores of Lake Champlain.

The campground is totally quiet. Most of the sites are used by "seasonal" campers. They are here only on weekends and so today is peaceful. The lake is the lowest it has ever been. The ground in front of the campground is exposed and full of lilies. There should be water lapping at the shores, but it is either the 4^th or 5^th driest season in Vermont's history. The boats left in the water lie listing on the mud flat.

The good news is that we have a nice dinner planned. We got some salmon to BBQ, some fresh tomatoes, some fresh corn, and a perky white wine. The better news is that we also scored some fresh blueberries for breakfast. The BEST news is that I managed to buy a half-gallon of pure Vermont maple syrple for my pancakes this winter. Almost nothing is better then real maple syrple. I've been a maple fanatic ever since I've been a kid. And here I am in Vermont. I feel like I have been on a pilgrimage to the Great Maple Tree, and I have arrived. I am greatly humbled.

After dinner we walked down the road. Very little traffic. Very balmy. A mist rising from the old fields. Water lapping at the shore. People sitting in chairs to watch the evening.

September 3, 1999 - North Hero, Grand Island, Vermont

Starting Mileage - 50848

We awoke early with Deb in a grumpy mood. She was not looking forward to another day of driving in the car. We left the campground around 8:15AM and headed north. Deb's mood did not last long. The scenery was great, and she loved all the little Vermont towns.

He was grinning at me like a Cheshire cat at 0700. He said he had waited til then to wake me up. Last night he had an upset stomach, and I was worried about him, and I could not sleep, but obviously he did. He is right that I was not excited about another driving day.

One stretch of road had about 15 covered bridges on it, and this caused all kinds of excitement from Ms. I'm-Not-Grumpy-Anymore. We decided to spend the Labor Day weekend at the White Caps Campground alongside a beautiful glacier formed lake (Lake Willoughby) and between two of Vermont's mountains. The setting is beautiful, and the temperature is HIGH! It's very hot here. Luckily, we are about 30 yards away from a nice sandy beach right on the lake, and the water is warm. And for the first time since Georgia, we erected our Florida Room so we would have some more space. The Florida Room is a screened room that hangs from the awning that extends from the side of Vinnie. It's about 12' x 6' so it adds quite a bit more space than we're used to having. And it gives me a place to send Deb if she's been bad or cranky.

This is the classic U-shaped glacial valley. Steep walled granite sheered off. They say the lake is 600 feet deep. It is very clear water and felt very refreshing in the heat of the afternoon.

We walked alongside the lake under the cool canopy of the hardwoods. Found a nudie beach up here in rural Vermont. I did notice that the people with better physiques were naked and the plumper set was lounging alongside the road fully clothed.

Shortly after arriving Ms. I-Hate-It-Here-And-I'm-Not-Going-To-Have-Any-Fun had suggested that we spend the entire month of September in and about New England. I immediately agreed. I have always loved New England - land of maple syrple, lobster, and Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream - and that list can be properly prioritized in any order whatsoever. So it looks like we may spend some time here exploring the oceanside, the bike routes, and, of course, the culinary delights.

The guy next to the campsite wants $25 per half day for his canoes. What a rip! So we rode our bikes down to Bill & Billie's Lodge to check on their prices for aluminum skiffs with a small motor. The sign on the wall said "open at 0700", so we got no information and headed home. We would have ridden further but there was a hill and it just looked like too much.

I just walked down to the lake with Deb. It's almost 9:00PM and dark. What a magnificent view we had! The lake was a light gray stretched out before us. On either side were large mountains making a large black "U" with the lake in the middle. Exactly in between the two black mountains was the Big Dipper. The last two stars in the dipper point to Polaris (The North Star), and Polaris was at the apex of the mountain on the right. The curve of the mountain on the left was exactly the same as, and parallel to, the curve of the handle of the Big Dipper that shone above it. It was just another wonderful experience I arranged for my sweetie, the love of my life... Just another perfect cosmic alignment!

September 4, 1999 - Lake Willoughby, VT

Starting Mileage - 51006

We decided to do a 30-mile ride today so we left shortly after waking and having breakfast. So off we went into the wilds of Vermont. We rode along some picturesque countryside and through several typical, small New England towns.

I used the Topo program to chart out various rides using the program and the Vermont map. First I had a 50-mile ride. We nixed that. Too hot! Next route was 38 miles, but ended again with a grueling hill. I took another loop and we rode it backwards, so the steepest part was downhill. Nevertheless I was drained. I still don't cool properly. I don't think I have ever been so hot riding. Actually made me nervous, so we stopped a lot the last few miles.

The Volunteer Fire Department in one of the towns was stopping all traffic coming into town for a "Coin Drop". The stopped drivers would find a volunteer fire fighter with a red bucket begging for coins and cash for the VFD. I had some change so I got in line with the cars. They got quite a chuckle to see a guy on a bike in the line of cars.

I thought it said "Corn Drop" and they were going to have a Labor Day Cornfest.

Bob commented at one point while riding along a slightly sloping grade with a gurgling creek on one side of the road and on the other side rushes and a meadow that it looked like it was out of an advertising poster.

It's still very hot here, so 30 miles was quite a strenuous ride once the sun came out in earnest. Poor Earnest! We slogged back into the campground and immediately put on our bathing suits for a cooling dip in the lake. COLD!!!! Deb lied to me. She said yesterday that it was "refreshing". It was not "refreshing". It was COLD! This lake is spring-fed. So we paddled around for a while and then came back to Vinnie for a lunch of anything we could find with salt in it. We are drained.

Later he talked me into going back to the lake for more. It may have been cold in the water, but it was hotter outside. Later we learned that a 115-year record had been broken for heat on this day in Burlington, Vermont.

Lots of people enjoying summer's last hurrah here in the Northeast. Life here is regulated much more by the seasons than it is back where we used to live in California. There were quite a few canoes and kayaks being put into the lake. People are paddling to the other side to do some camping.

I also saw the happiest dog I have ever seen in my entire life. A woman brought her lab to the lake. This dog was excitement personified. Bounding everywhere! In the water, out of the water, all over his mistress. He was so excited to be in the water. You could hear the barks and yelps when the car drove up to the lake, and then there was a brown blur as this missile shot into the water. The dog's name is Willow (Lake Willoughby), and she's four years old.

September 5, 1999 - Lake Willoughby, VT

Starting Mileage - 51006

A brisk hike was on this morning's menu. We had seen people at a lookout on a trail that led high above our campground and the lake. We decided to try for it. It was the Mount Pisgah Trail. We got up, ate, and started off. It was a very steep trail that led through a pretty hardwood forest. At times the trail was on the edge of a loooong, steep cliff. But the views at over 500 feet over the lake were quite spectacular.

Lake Willoughby is a glacial U-shaped basin. The walls are quite sheer above the lake. We didn't go straight up. We went around to the south and circled back around. The tree leaves are so thick that in most places you cannot even see below, but there is an occasional clearing and it drops straight down like Glacier Point in Yosemite. I can tolerate a sudden drop-off only a little more than Bob, so we both timidly inched our way out onto the rock enough to see, but not enough to get to nervous.

It is 20 degrees cooler than yesterday, so it was a pleasant walk.

We returned to our campsite, packed up, and headed south.

We ended up on a road where the speed limit was 55 mph. This was a little too fast for me. I had Bob pick out another road where we could progress at a more civilized pace. We wandered through Peacham (founded in 1776), Groton and Chelsea then found a road with more covered bridges. Great barns and huge houses. The house connects to the garage and there are rooms in between. I guess it is something to do with the mounds of snow they have here in the winter. We then turned onto the highway along the White River for a jaunt toward the Connecticut River. Color is starting to show in patches. It was a most enjoyable afternoon.

Everyone is preparing to close up for the season. Businesses have posted signs in the window about what day they will close. Firewood stacks are a predominant feature in most yards. In all the campground the "seasonals" are checking out the RV undercarriage and blowing up tires in preparation for the trip home for the winter. The snowbirds are heading south for the winter. And tonight there is a big potluck down the road for everyone to say good-bye to their summer buddies.

One unique thing about the area is that everyone seems to have two businesses. Many, if not most, of the farms also sell maple syrple, and the rest have other businesses advertised - gunsmiths, crafts, saw sharpening, carpentry, etc. We even found a land surveyor who also sold maple syrple.

September 6 - White River Junction, VT

Starting Mileage - 51130

Deb is once again becoming unbearable. Now she's discovered a new computer game and has become addicted. I can't get at the computer, and now I have to do all "the work". She plays, and I do "the work". It's just not fair. It's not! It's not! It's not! I have begun searching the many yard sales we pass for a meat grinder that I can stuff her into.

It is going to have to be an awfully large meat grinder, since all I do these days is "sit and play games" that I must have grown in girth. It is not me that I hear opening the cupboard 15 minutes after a prime rib dinner to get some dessert cookies, is it?

Today we found some more scenic covered bridges, some really old ones. We hiked in the rain down the trail to the famous Qeechee Gorge--"the Grand Canyon of Vermont". Really!! It was a pretty granite gorge, but does not even rank in the same category as the Grand Canyon. A busload of Russian tourists trudged up the soggy trail. They had set out before the rain started and were soaked. They all enviously eyed our large blue-and-white-striped umbrella that Bob kept centered over himself.

Today's Super-Intelligent Quote:

As we were driving down the road…

Deb - "Look!"

Bob - "What?"

Deb - "That tree. It has multiple branches."

There was a moment of confused silence, and then we both broke into uncontrollable giggles.

We stayed on the slow back roads as we headed south. It alternately drizzled and poured all day, so we didn't attempt too much other excitement.

It is a subtle difference from Vermont to New Hampshire. In NH there are stone fences. We saw none in Vermont. Fewer dairies in NH; fewer barns. Still have covered bridges. Found some near Swanzey.

We did three states today - Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. We're slowly headed for a bike ride up and down Cape Cod. It will surely be a ride strenuous enough to deserve a large lobster dinner.

September 7, 1999 - Bernardston, Mass

Starting Mileage - 51262

It was up and at 'em for the happy road warriors this AM! Deb got up at 6:30, and I got up at 7:30 to the sounds of Deb and her mouse playing spider solitaire on the computer. Deb had trouble sleeping. Perhaps it was the constant clatter of raindrops on Vinnie. So we packed up and headed out…. We had nowhere to go so we couldn't get lost. We just drove about in a somewhat bewildered state for a while. Those of you who read anything about our bicycle honeymoon through New England last year are well aware that the roads in Massachusetts are not well marked if they are marked at all.

We drove today. Call it scouting for the future. One nice stop at Shelbourne Falls in Massachusetts. They took an old trolley bridge and made it the "Bridge of Flowers". It was a great little garden across the river. Local lady volunteers were out in the misty morn deadheading the fall blooms. I talked a bit to the resident gardener to find out how they overwinter the plants here. All over the town were beautiful plots. Any town with such good yards seemed like a candidate to me for a living spot, but I talked to a local who said they are not to put out any new seedlings until June 1. That is horrific!! What am I going to do next winter in Pennsylvania?

I already told her what she can do in PA during the winter. She can go to movies or take up bowling. That's it. It's difficult to garden when the ground is frozen… if you can find the ground under all that snow.

Also this town was the home of 50 famous glacial potholes in the riverbed. Of course, we stopped to look at them. They were potholes all right.

We rambled south through Mass and on into Connecticut. We have to keep folding and unfolding map cause we cross state lines so frequently in these dinky states. It sprinkled throughout the day, so we drove.

Tonight we are in the home of the Lyme tick. I itch. Too much microbiolgy. Whenever I read about a walk around here I start scratching. One article I read yesterday said that one deer can host 1.5 million ticks.

We decided to head south through Connecticut and head over toward Cape Cod so we could cycle the length of it when the weather cleared. So tonight, after a somewhat uneventful day, we are camped in Connecticut close to Long Island Sound.

End of Week 16