Lone Pine Campsites 8/31 --> 9/6/2016

101 miles 3 hours

A glimpse of the cloud covered Taconic range to my left.

It was a great day for driving. When I left the RV park at Lake George, it began to drizzle and I thought I was going to be in for some rainy, sloppy driving. Wrong. It was overcast the entire trip with the temperature remaining at 71° Very good for driving. What made it even nicer was the scenery. Magnificent views. As I traveled route 7 into Vermont and northward to Colchester, I was constantly saying, "Wow." In the distance to my left were the Taconic Mountains or Taconic Range in New York State and in the distance to my right were the Green Mountains of Vermont. All mountains in Vermont are referred to as the Green Mountains, so what I saw were the Northeastern Highlands. Both run like spines north and south and parallel to each other. They're part of the Appalachian Mountains. In between were miles and miles of farmland. Most notable crop was corn. Corn as far as the eye could see. With rolling hills it wasn't really that far. If farms weren't producing corn, they had cows and more cows from Black Angus to what were probably Holsteins. Large tracts of land and very few houses. With 40,000 more people than Wyoming, Vermont is the second least populated state. I'm sure the residents would like to keep it that way too. Did you know it's the only state that does not have a building taller than 124 feet? And barns! I am fascinated with barns; old barns. I've seen barns in all my travels down south and now here into the Northeast. They're all the same. Why? They all share the characteristic dilapidated, poorly maintained, collapsing, sunken sides or roofs. 

Once again, Winnie, right at home with
no neighbors anywhere around.

The all have broken windows or no windows at all, hanging doors, and overgrown plant life that will, in time, consume their very existence. They will rot, decompose and be taken back by the land upon which they stand. In addition to the classic, very picturesque structures are the contents within; old, rusted, classic farm implements and machinery that are no longer of any use to their owners. After all, what can they do with them once they've become fixtures. I remember writing in one of my earlier blogs traveling back to New York from the south how much I wished I was the passenger and would be able to photograph the barns I have seen. I know there are "coffee table" editions of Barn books. From regional field guides to books on their evolution, these books usually depict barns still standing and kept in great shape, working order and, of course, picture perfect.

In front and to the right of us, down the street, lots
of vacancies. Lady at registration desk indicated she'll
be packed this Labor Day weekend.

Back up up the street toward the entrance, the line
of campsites in my row are all vacant.

 

Everything in all sites, nicely line up
and ready for the crowds. We shall see.

Across the road, campers are settled in.

A plumbing faux pas, I'm sure. This one water source is
to service two sites; only my water connection is on the other
side of the RV. I just about made it.

And the picnic table (with a fire grill underneath it)
lies just beyond where I would want it. Without that able-
bodied other person, that baby wasn't going anywhere.

Lone Pine Campground has a well stocked camp store including perishables AND soft ice cream. Not to worry, it's a hike but I will give it a try. Disappointingly, WiFi is available only with a "subscription." As I am completely opposed to paying for WiFi, I'll once again, rely on my own "hot spot" with AT&T. I didn't even pursue the directions of my iPhone to see how much it would be but the way I use data....well, let's not go there. I'm here until Tuesday so I'll take advantage of the level walkways, Sunday Farmer's Market, shower, and the beginnings of my Robert Greer novels. Until next time, take care and good night.

Lake George RV Park 8/28 --> 8/30/2016- Day Three

Campground Trolley

DAY THREE:

Yesterday, I got to know Larry, one of the campground trolley drivers. Retired from the Scott Paper company years ago, he worked at many other jobs to keep busy in his retirement and has been married for 60 years. He received a great deal from the company when he retired at 53. Besides his pension for 30 years service, the company gave him what Social Security would be giving him if he were 62. So, for 9 years, while working other jobs, he did all right for himself financially. I learned all this after being driven down to the main office to buy trolley tokens for today. Driving the loop and stopping at specified stops, the 1.1 mile trip afforded me a look at the entire campground. After my shopping, he looped around and met me at one of the stops, the start off location. But before he took off again on the half hour, I was his captive and only audience.

So, my plan for today is to grab that trolley ride again down to the entrance where I'll wait at a gazebo for the Village trolley. Purchasing the discounted tokens at the office will make my 6 mile round trip cost for that service $1.75. After the walk around town, I'll make my way back to the The Log Jam Restaurant for an early dinner. Check out the menu and guess what I'll have. The last run for the campground trolley is at 7:30 pm. Here are some photos of the day:
One regret was not getting into the Village earlier to take advantage of a cruise up and down the lake. Next year.

The Adirondac

The Minne Ha-Ha

The Mohican

One can only imagine the fall foliage that will soon be ablaze
in the lush forests surrounding this beautiful lake. The season
for the shops is winding down and after Labor Day
many attractions will close.

Looking north on the main street in the Village. The dwindling
tourists and their children have left and getting ready for school.
As I walked I overheard many foreign tongues from the
passersby that remained.

Looking south. Shops were many and varied; people were
few and far between.

The Painted Pony Rodeo

I stopped in a Christmas shop to see if they carried a fuse I
needed. I stood in amazement looking down
the right side of the store.....

...then the left aisle. Thousands and thousands of items to be
hung on a Christmas tree. I turned one over to see $12.99!
That's quite an expensive inventory.

I came across a "going out of business" bookstore.
2 books for $5.00. A new author for me, Robert Greer.
Will let you know.

"Dr. Robert Greer, 67, is an accomplished, if somewhat modest, Denver doctor, writer and rancher. He’s a practicing pathologist and professor of medicine at the University of Colorado. He is the author of 13 books, most notably the C.J. Floyd series, which follows the misadventures of a Denver bail bondsman. He also owns and runs a cattle ranch in Wyoming. He was raised in Gary, Ind., by a schoolteacher mom and school principal dad. College wasn’t a choice as much as another step in the right direction. He studied chemistry, zoology and journalism at Miami University in Ohio, went on to get degrees in dentistry, medicine and pathology at Howard and Boston universities. His wife, Phyllis, died of a heart attack in 2002, a loss that still sears his heart." I look forward to reading all 13 of his books.

While waiting for the trolley ride back to the campground
and restaurant in the nearby outlet mall.....

....ye ol' horse drawn carriage added a nice touch to the Village.

Returning from Lake George Village, I was dropped off
at a nearby mall featuring three or four name brand
outlets. The RV campground is actually located in Queensbury
in Warren County. 

From what I read on my FB page,
this is a pretty popular spot for many of my friends.
Don't forget to click on the red link above to see the
extensive menu and wine lists.

Obviously, I arrived early for dinner and was able to capture
"the look". I spent a lot time imagining what went into securing,
preparing, and sculpting these beautiful beams.

I didn't expect a crowd; it is Tuesday, after all. But sure
enough, the crowds trickled in as I finished. Ryan, my waiter,
indicated it was going to be slow now that things
were winding down......

....because when it's busy, there would be over
500 meals served in an evening.

7 Deadly Zins by Michael David Winery

(Lodi, California) Blackberry, black cherry, raspberry

and strawberry flavors with notes of black pepper....

...paired nicely with my filet mignon, medium well, with sides
of steamed carrots and mashed potatoes
whipped with vegetable cream cheese.

And so concludes my short stay here at the Lake George RV Campground. Tomorrow, I'm off to Colchester, Vermont. I'm expecting a 2 hour and 15 minute drive to Lone Pine Campground. I hope you'll join me.

Lake George RV Park 8/28 --> 8/30/2016- Day One

171 miles - 3 hours

My site 425 - note arrow in lower left. This campground is H-U-G-E

DAY ONE:

Traveling on a Sunday was a wise choice on my part. The 171 mile journey went smoothly with a minimum of cursing. Actually, there was just one but it was a typical move on the part of drivers that encounter RVs, big and small, on the road; that is, a failure to acknowledge the directional signal indicating a desired lane change in order to pass a slow moving vehicle. There was plenty of time and room to allow for that change but alas, not with this one.  The vehicle behind? Acknowledged, flashed lights to give the go ahead and voila, done. And when passed, I'm back into the slow lane. Simple. Courteous. Door to door, I made the trip in exactly 3 hours.

This operation rivals that of Disney's Ft. Wilderness down in Orlando/Buena Vista, Florida in terms of organization. The 120 acres here at Lake George doesn't match the 700+ acres of Ft. Wilderness but I had to drive some distance from where I entered (upper right side of above map) and registered to my site (white arrow) #425 in the lower left. Tomorrow, I'll try to catch the "Trolley" service into the village. It's also available for getting around campground as well.

A level site with privacy on 3 sides and hydrangea in full bloom

Mostly shady during the day; Tall old pines
give that "out in the woods" feeling.

Even with neighboring RVs nearby, the night is pitch black and
silent. State Road 149 behind me is muffled background noise.

My afternoon of the first day was spent with friends Bill & Diane who happened to be in the area for the weekend. There are 365 small islands in Lake George, most state owned. They rent a house on one of them, Elizabeth Island, accessible only by boat as you figured out. After picking me up, stopping at a country store to purchase sandwiches, they gave me a quick boat ride tour of the nearby shoreline before docking at their place. Lake George (44 square miles) is a 32 miles long, 3 mile wide natural, spring fed lake 200' deep in some places that is so clean, it provides the drinking water for the surrounding area including Bolton, NY. We spent the afternoon on the deck overlooking the beautiful scenery which threw me back to Ken & Jane's lake house on Lake Keowee, SC. Some photos will look familiar. Remember, it's New York state not South Carolina.

This scene is reminiscent of Lake Keowee and provided the
same pleasurable, scenic relaxation I enjoyed with Jane & Ken.

Thank you, Bill & Diane for the invitation to visit.

Tuesday, I'll try and catch the trolley that will take me around the campground and into the village of Lake George. Enjoying beautiful sunny weather; temperature at 87°

Appalachian Campground - Final Days

DAYS FOUR, FIVE & SIX

Monday morning - all gone.

Thursday's arrival - A full house.

As I wind down the first leg of my "Summer Adventure" this weekend provided me with some interesting observations. 

First there was the amazing disappearance of the weekend campers. Thursday, when I arrived, most sites were occupied for I don't know how long. But come Sunday, by checkout time, the great migration was complete. Because there were many families with children, I'm sure that between work and the beginning of school (down here), many of these Pennsylvania residents had their last hurrah and now it was back to reality. Needless to say, as a retiree (and former educator who did not have a fondness for Septembers), I smiled and looked forward to the serenity and peace of a quiet campground for the next three days. The smile included giving thanks for being that fortunate to be able to do what I am doing.

Sunday noon

Monday noon

The swimming pool directly across from my site gave visual proof Monday noon that it would be a quiet three days. 

Second, I was a hermit with the continuing heat that kept me inside when the temps were in the mid 90's with no shade on site 306. This allowed me to complete my novel in two days.

From the time I arrived in South Carolina, temperatures each day hovered from the high 80's to the high 90's. Then, Sunday afternoon, a welcomed, torrential downpour began to cool things off.  I posted this clip on my Facebook page. Yes, it was very noisy inside the "tin can." Monday and Tuesday of this week were the "perfect days" for doing almost everything.

And finally, last night, after all that continuing heat during the day, Mother Nature, as only she can, decided to make the temperature plummet to a (chilly?), (comfortable?), (unexpected?), (surprising?) 55° overnight. Would you believe, I needed a blanket during the night? And so, the thermostat was switched from the far left (Cool) to the far right (Elec Heat). An amazing transition. 

And for my last day here at Appalachian, the most perfect day of all, I laid out in the sun most of the day. With no humidity and a little breeze sprinkled with a cloud here and there, it was wonderful. My lists are made for what to bring home, what to buy, where to buy it, and what comes back with me on Sunday have all been made. Throw in a visit with my mother, laundry, showers, haircut, and a dinner at Sakura and you see it's gonna be tight.  My on-board propane gauge indicated a ¼ tank. I never trusted it, so as luck would have it, the gas stove quit on me just as I'm ready to prepare shrimp dumplings (age shumai) for lunch. So? They were steamed instead (as he brings a smile to the faces of at least 6 people he knows). This is a big problem now, because on the road, I must use propane to keep the frig and freezer operating for 3 hours. Where I'm headed, propane at the Lake George RV Resort is $4.50/gal. Forget that. On my way home through Cold Spring, I planned to stop at Synergy where I checked and found it to be $3.32. Quite a savings, no? But because I need it sooner, I thought I'd bite the bullet and pay whatever it is here at the campground. Ready?  $2.12/gal.  Bingo.

The decision to purchase my propane here sets my itinerary for tomorrow. Check out is at 1:00 pm. I'll fill up and leave by 11:30 am, be home by 2:30 at which time Phase I of layover begins. Won't bore you with what's gotta be done but Sunday at about 10 am, I'm off for the second part of my "Summer Adventure." You can click the tab above marked "2016 Summer"to see what's coming up next. Six campgrounds to go and I'm excited about it. The RV Park in LG reminds me of a mini Disney Ft. Wilderness in Orlando only this is in NY.  Take a look for yourself HERE. So, till I write my next blog in Lake George, take care of yourself. 

It's what I do.