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Houlton/Canadian Border KOA in Houlton, Maine (Oct 7-Oct 14)
We moved to Northern Maine (Houlton) and our site was fully grass. There were very few other campers there, as this is the last week of the campground being open before closing for the winter.
We went to Presque Isle and did some letterboxing. There were some that were planted that same day and I was the first finder on them. That was fun! We saw some cool places and I bought a few crocheted items from a hand-crafted store in the mall.
The next day we went to New Brunswick, Canada. We drove around and saw some pretty colors. I had to grab James some ketchup chips and snacks…that boy must have Canadian blood in there somewhere! LOL!
The following day, we went to Katadin Woods & Waters National Monument. This is the peak that is the endpoint of the Appalachian Trail. It is a gorgeous area and we really enjoyed it. We saw some river otters in a remote area that we went to looking for a letterbox. No letterbox, but the otters were a highlight of the day!
Otters We start heading south now, back to Narrows Too.
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TT Narrows Too in Trenton, ME (Sept 23-Oct 7)
We moved to Trenton, Maine, which is just outside Bar Harbor. We got a great site. We will be returning to this campground, so Ed set up for us to get this same spot on our return.
We spent the first week here recovering from Covid. It really knocked us for a loop. When I was feeling somewhat human I walked around and enjoyed the campground. It is off the water and there are some spectacular sunsets/sunrises from here.
James got his first home!!! We are so proud of him. He moved onto my friend Alicia’s ranch. He is really spreading his wings, but I have to admit I am thrilled to have him be somewhere that will embrace him as family. Alicia is the perfect balance of auntie who will be there to help support him, but pushing him to do things for himself.
The next two photos are the interior of a home like his…he has different furniture, but the layout is identical.
We finally tested negative and felt human after about 10 days of being here. We went to Bar Harbor and took a boat/nature tour. It was so cool! We saw bald eagles, seals and peregrine falcons.
Strange boat that takes passengers back to the cruise ship The next day we went on a bus tour of Acadia National Park after breakfast at Jeanine’s Great Maine Breakfast. The diner lived up to it’s name! We had a wonderful day.
Downtown Bar Harbor 
Bar Harbor Lobster 
A few days later, we went on a train ride on the Downeast Scenic Railway. We saw some beautiful colors and the train ride was great! The windows were super clean and if you haven’t noticed, clean windows is a big deal for me.
On our last day, we went to the Great Maine Lumberjack Show and had a fun time! The owner is very personable and enthusiastic. It was a great show.
Off to Northern Maine next….
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TT Moody Beach in Wells, ME (Sept 22)
We moved to TT Moody Beach for one night on the way to our next spot. We will be returning, so it was nice to see what our options are. We are still suffering from this awful Covid, so we just hunkered down for the night.
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Carr Point Recreation Area in Middletown, RI (Sept 19-Sept 22)
We arrived at Carr Point Recreation Area which is a military campground right outside Newport Naval Base. The day we moved, Ed & I both really felt terrible. We took Covid tests and both tested positive right away! We stayed in the camper pretty much the entire time we were there. Fortunately, it was a pretty area with a water view and we watched the rail bikes going by the campground. Covid really kicked out butt again!!
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TT Gateway to Cape Cod in Rochester, MA (Aug 29-Sept 19)
We moved to the Gateway to Cape Cod campground and got a beautiful site! It was difficult to get into because it was quite uneven, but boy it was worth the work. It is tucked away in the trees, large area and very peaceful.
The day we pulled into the campground, I was struck by the GPS saying turn on “Stevens Road” and then we passed Porter Road just prior to the turn! I felt like it was a message from my brother just reminding me that he is still a big part of my life! I love and miss him so very much!
The day after arriving, I flew to DFW. I spent a couple days with my dear friend, Kim at a hotel in Sulphur Springs so that we could unwind and catch up. James came and hung out with us for a day also. The rest of the time, I was in my usual hotel and catching up on doctor appointments. I also spent time with my mother and brother, Michael.
When I returned to Massachusetts, we went to Provincetown. It was a great day.
We took another train ride that was a lunch train. It was beautiful! The windows were huge and very clean. The food was great.
The next day, we went to Martha’s Vineyard. We took a great bus tour around the island! The guide, Bart, was raised on the island and he had so much enthusiasm for the island and it’s history. We really enjoyed the day and the island.
Ed and James flew to Las Vegas to have their “James’ 21st Birthday Vegas Trip”. While there, Ed surprised James with a military helicopter ride in the mountains where they got to shoot from the helicopter. James was so excited and shocked! They really had a wonderful time and I am so pleased that they had that time together.
The boys also took a trip to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon from Vegas.
They saw Hoover Dam
One thing that we had to get from the Vegas trip was a photo of James with the show girls! All his life he has loved the photo of his Uncle Joe on his 21st birthday trip with the show girls and since that was the inspiration of James always wanting to celebrate his 21st in Vegas, we had to have this photo!
While the boys were in Vegas, I just chilled at the campground, enjoyed a few fires and the night sky. We left for Rhode Island the day after Ed got back from Vegas.
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Mystic KOA Holiday in North Stonington, CT (Aug 18-Aug 29)
We arrived at the KOA in North Stonington, CT and got a very nice site. I forgot to take a photo of our campsite.
We went to the Mystic Aquarium, Stonington Lighthouse and hiked to see the Trolls in Charlestown, Rhode Island.
We went to see the USS Nautilus, I didn’t go inside since my claustrophobia tends to really get going inside a submarine! We went on a lighthouse/island boat tour. The next day, we hiked Bluff Point Coastal Reserve and then we went on another island/lighthouse boat tour.
(Steam Train photos)
We took the Essex Steam Train Supper tour. It was lovely and the food was really good! The train was beautiful and very well kept.
When on base one day, we saw this awesome van. It made me think of the van my mom had when we were kids and we used to camp in it! I was tempted to ask the man to see the inside, but figured that seemed a bit creepy…lol!
(Bakery and Mystic photos)
I had heard about this bakery called Sift in Mystic, so we went there prior to visiting Mystic Village for some breakfast. The cases were stunning and it was very difficult to chose one thing to buy! We had a wonderful time at Mystic Village. It really needs multiple days to be able to take it all in. We went swept through the shops across the way too. It was a great day!
There is a really fun place in East Lyme called the Book Barn. I could have wandered around in there for days and days! It is an outdoor/indoor used book shop. I have never seen anything like it. Multiple buildings/sheds with books inside plus the outdoor décor and gardens. That same day we went to Niantic Boardwalk and the Sift bakery there.
My baby turned 21 during this stay. I hated being away from him on this momentous day. I love him so very much and he has become such a wonderful young man who is really making strides in his life. Going through old photos of him was such a fun/heartbreaking project…time is just chugging along!!!
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Timothy Lakes South TT-East Stroudsburg, PA (Aug 4-Aug 18)
We moved to Timothy Lake South. This is a nice campground, lots of walking opportunities and plenty of good sized sites for travelers. There are plenty of annual sites, but they are well maintained and seem to be welcoming for the most part. One neighbor was a busy-body, but isn’t there always at least one.
Stunning 
Ed crossing bridge 
River edge 
We took a few days to get settled in. We went to Bushkill Falls and hiked the red route, which I think Ed regretted agreeing to! The next day he did tackle Dingman’s Falls also, so I am proud of him.
The art scene is cool 
This house with the crazy skeleton antics 
Directing to the art gallery 
wild art 
A daycare for Gramma! 
The train schedule 
on the train 
the river 
tracks 
Old Glory We went to Jim Thorpe. The first thing I experienced was a real nasty man who verbally assaulted me for parking in the disabled parking. However, the rest of the visit was very cool. It is a artsy and ‘witchy’ place. Certainly my kind of vibe. We walked around town and saw such fun, kitschy places. Then we rode the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway, which was a really nice trip.
Falls 
Us at the falls 
Found this fun painted rock 
left it for another finder 
side fall 
trail 
steps on trail 
Ed at the diner 
mmmm….coffee 
This was a decent little spot! We went to Raymondskill Falls and hiked, it was a nice short hike and the falls were very pretty. After the hike, we stopped for lunch at the Village Diner in Milford. There are some really great hikes and falls in this area! I look forward to coming back to this area.
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Dover AFB FamCamp in Dover, DE (July 21-Aug 4)
7-21- We arrived at Dover AFB FamCamp. We got a great site, very spacious. The campground is RIGHT next to the airstrip, which is very active. There are C-5 and C-130 and 747’s that frequently take off and do touch and go’s. We even saw AirForce One!
This is the view out my desk window.
7-23- We went to the Delaware State Fair. I love seeing all the entries for the fair. It is nice to be reminded that people are still encouraged to use their talents and abilites for things like the fair! I bought this cool journal from one of the vendors.
This is Monster Miles at the Dover Speedway. I was hoping to get there at night to see his eyes glow, but alas, we will have to save it for another visit!
7-26- We drove to New Jersey to tour the USS New Jersey. Ed’s previous coworker, Doug, served on this ship. It was fun to tour while texting back and forth with Doug about things on board. Ed bought a piece of the flooring that they took up during renovations to give to Doug when he visits Dallas next. There is a nice certificate of authenticity that came with it.
After touring the USS New Jersey, we took a bit of an emotional trip for me over to Philadelphia. We rode the ferry and walked around. I saw several places and things that I remember from my time there with Steven. It was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. We walked past the Sheraton where we stayed during our time there. It was interesting to think about how young I was and that Angela was just a baby! I took a few pictures of things that meant something to me. One being the statue that is on the capital building. Steven loved that stupid thing because at certain angles, it looks as though William Penn is peeing on the city. Steven would crack up everytime he pointed it out. God….I miss him so very much sometimes that it feels like my heart is being squeezed into dust.
7-29- Went to Milton, DE to see the Steampunk Treehouse at DogFish Brewery. It is pretty cool!
We then went to Rohoboth Beach to walk the boardwalk and of course, Ed had fun playing the arcade claw games! He won a crab stuffy for me and a Yoshi for himself, as he always uses the Yoshi character in the games. The beach was crazy full of people!
We drove down the coastline to Ocean City, Maryland and I saw these two eateries across from each other. I had to laugh!
8-1- We went back to Rohoboth Beach again. They pulled everyone out of the ocean due to a pod of dolphins swimming by.
Ed won more stuffies…a seagull stealing a french fry, a moose with a sweatshirt on it, a highland cow and a ‘box’ of Kraft Mac & Cheese with arms and legs! LOL!
Next stop, East Stoudsburg, Pennsylvania…
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KOA’s along the route to Dover, Delaware (July 18-21)
7-18- We stopped at Lake Bomoseen KOA in Vermont for a night.
7-19- We stopped at Unadilla/Oneonta KOA in New York for a night.
7-20- We stopped at Allentown KOA in Pennsylvania for a night.
Nothing special to report, we just drove during the days and slept at night! LOL!
Next stop is Dover AFB for a couple weeks.
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Lincoln/Woodstock KOA in Woodstock, NH (July 10-July 18)
First order of business on our way out of Vermont, was to meet up with Miryam again! I had forgotten to give her Steven’s ashes, so she met up with us on our route. We probably won’t be seeing her for another year or two, so it was fun to get one last ‘see ya later’ in for now! Brie wasn’t feeling too well, so she waited in the car. Scooby got to get a snuggle in, also!
We arrived at the KOA in Lincoln, NH and were not thrilled with the first site we were assigned, but the staff there was great and worked to get us a much better site. The previous one was very narrow and the ‘neighbors’ were encroaching with a bunch of ‘junk’ on their site, along with a large dog that was tied to the tree right at my door, so we were not comfortable staying in that one. Again, the staff was amazing and we ended up really happy with the new site.
The KOA has a little barrel train that runs every night, then a bit later a firetruck rolls around with campers riding along! They also have this fun cabin with a covered wagon to sleep in!
7-11- We drove the Kangamangus Highway and took a trail to a falls. I did this drive many years ago with my Mom and James when he was a little guy. It is such a beautiful place!
That evening, we took the Cafe LaFayette Dinner Train. The food was decent and the train ride was pretty.
7-12- We went to Conway to ride the Cog Railway up Mt. Washington. It was really cool. The top of the mountain was covered in fog and the wind was cold and crazy. We really had a good time on the cog train and at the top!
7-15- We went to Littleton to have the truck oil changed and while walking around the area shopping center, I looked up and saw this chill little bat hanging out. My mom would have had a stroke, as she hates bats…but I think they are cool…and cute! The mountain is on the way to Littleton and I love the way it looks.
7-16- We took the Conway Scenic Railway. We had the bagged lunch and rode in the first class car. It was really a beautiful car. We had a very nice time. There was a guy we nicknamed the “Jersey Jerk” on our car, as he was EXTREMELY loud and annoying (with a thick Jersy accent). He drove everyone out of the car eventually. He never did seem to realize (or maybe care) that people moved away from him and eventually left the car for other spaces on the train. Fortunately, he sat at the other end of the car from us when he was in the car and he wandered the train with his companion most of the ride. It was so nice to have the car almost to ourselves for a good portion of the ride.
7-17- We went to the old Hobo Junction Railway area. When James was about 2 years old, we rode this railway with Mom. I bought James a lunch that came in a hobo sack. There even was a Hobo that visited everybody on the train. It was so fun and I have always treasured this memory as we had such a good time. The Hobo Railway has been sold to new owners, the name is changed and the reviews of the new operation are not favorable. Supposedly the train cars are in disrepair and the train doesn’t go very far. We opted not to ride, but I did enjoy visiting the area to recall my happy memories.
The rest of the day we went letterboxing and enjoyed the sites.
Tomorrow we start a few days of travel to with an endpoint of Dover, Delaware.
