Extraterrestrials and the Valley of Fire

(2023 Alaska Revisited Ep 4)

After another cold night in Jackpot (campground only, no casino!), we continued south to Ely, NV.

We drove four miles west of Ely hoping to see a big hole in the ground. We were in search of Robinson Copper Mine, one of North America’s deepest mining pits at more than 1000 feet deep. Since 1867, more than 4 billion pounds of copper and 2.7 million ounces of gold have been produced from the mine.

Robinson Copper Mine, a deep pit near Ely, NV (from kghm.com)

A nice young lady at the mine entrance gate informed us the public viewpoint was closed due to nearby mining activity.

Some RabbiTRAILS lead to dead ends.

:>(

Extraterrestrial Sighting

A road sign announces the start of the Extraterrestrial Highway

We left Ely and crossed central Nevada. The region has many remote highways and Nevada highway 375 between Warm Springs and Ash Springs is known as the ‘extraterrestrial highway.’ The 94-mile highway skirts the highly classified US Air Force facility known as Area 51, where numerous events involving alien beings have allegedly taken place.

Contemplating the LONG ROAD ahead and what we might encounter

After miles of sagebrush, various types of cacti and a few tumbleweeds, we had a close encounter.

We came upon a truck with a flying saucer in tow and several chartreuse green aliens nearby. A sign assured us that earthlings are welcome at the A’Le’Inn, a restaurant, bar, motel and RV park in the small, remote town of Rachel, NV. This was not an alien outpost, but rather a kitschy tourist trap in the middle of nowhere.

It was too late for lunch and too early for dinner, so we enjoyed a slice of chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream, along with conversation with the owner.

He was quick to bring our attention to several signs forbidding video recording in the establishment. We wondered if there something he was trying to hide!

The Valley of Fire

Our truck thermometer confirmed we finally found warm weather!

Our search for warmer weather was finally rewarded at Valley of Fire SP (VOFSP) in southern Nevada!

VOFSP is a popular state park a few miles east of Las Vegas. The campground sites are first come, first serve and a disheartening ‘campground full’ sign greeted us when we arrived. We stopped for lunch and a visit to the dump station, and while we waited, we overheard a ranger telling another RV traveler to drive through the campground as the campground full signs were often incorrect.

We were elated to find an available site, although it did not have electricity or water. It was nestled up against rugged red rocks not too far from the restroom and showers.

It reminded us to trust and give thanks to the One who provides for our every need and more!

That afternoon we had an unexpected sighting of several bighorn sheep not far from the campground. Two rams were facing off and when they butted heads, a loud crack echoed among the rocks.

Bighorn sheep seen close to the campground

As the hot sun fell behind the rocks, our camper cooled in the shade. It was time for dinner, showers and sleep. It was the first night since we picked up the truck camper that we didn’t use our small electric heater or RV furnace. We slept soundly in the cool desert night.

The next morning we rose early to drive the five mile White Domes Road to the Fire Wave/Seven Wonders Trail. After hiking a half mile enjoying the sweet fragrance of desert primrose, we discovered the firewave – colorful red and white swirls in the Aztec sandstone. The trail continued through a narrow slot canyon and ended with a steep and rugged uphill climb back to the parking lot.

Fragrant desert primrose was in full bloom at the start of the Firewave Trail

Despite the remote location, we discovered that cell service was available from the parking lot. I spent several hours working on the April 10 RabbiTRAILS blog post.

Later that afternoon we hiked several other trails including the White Domes Loop Trail where several movies (including Star Trek Generations) have been filmed.

VOFSP is beautiful and rugged, and reminds us of Arches NP in Utah without the epic arches. The park is best visited in the late fall, winter or early spring. Signs warn visitors of life threatening heat during the summer months.

Last Call for Names

This week is the last chance to send suggestions of names for our truck and truck camper. Max, Pancake and Oscar will have named siblings in the near future!

NEXT WEEK

Dead horses and a rewarding desert detour.

Factory Tour and The Snake

(2023 Alaska Revisited Ep 3)

We have been traveling in our truck camper for nearly two weeks, traveling southeast from Oregon to Idaho. Although the mountains are slowly emerging from their solid white blankets of snow, it is still cold by Florida standards, especially at night. Long pants, a flannel shirt and jacket are the uniform of the day. We long for shorts and a T-shirt!

Our route took us near La Grande, OR, where our Wolf Creek truck camper was birthed. We toured the Northwood manufacturing plant where Wolf Creek and Arctic Fox truck campers, and Arctic Fox travel and fifth wheel trailers are made.

Truck campers like ours are put together from the inside out, starting with a base and floor. Internal walls and framing come next followed by components like water tanks, plumbing and wiring. Kitchen and bathroom fixtures, appliances, cabinets and drawers are added. The nearly finished interior is then wrapped with pre-assembled exterior walls and roof. Finishing touches include cushions, bedding and window coverings on the inside and decals on the outside.

Aluminum welded frames receive foam insulation and are then laminated with interior and exterior layers. After openings are precision cut, the walls are attached to the outside of the camper shell

Exterior walls are made of interior and exterior layers laminated to a foam core

The manufacturing process for travel trailers and fifth wheels is very similar, although the components are much larger, and involve heavy-duty frame and wheel assemblies.

Northwood produces just a few models at any one time and our model (Wolf Creek 890) wasn’t in production during our tour. It is next scheduled to be made late summer 2023.

Unlike larger RV manufacturers, just a few of each model are completed each week and sent to select dealers nationwide. Individual hands-on construction with great quality control is very much evident during the entire build process.

Later that day, we crossed into Idaho and spent the night a few miles southeast of Boise in Mountain Home. The next morning, after dealing with the frozen water connections mentioned in our last blog post, we continued to Twin Falls, where we would turn directly south to Nevada and (hopefully) warmer weather.

Shoshone Falls

Twins Falls is named for Shoshone Falls, a beautiful waterfall on the Snake River, a few miles upriver from the town. The Snake, floated by explorers Lewis and Clark in the early 1800s, flows 1078 miles from Wyoming’s Grand Tetons through Idaho before it joins the Columbia River near Pasco, WA.

Public viewing platform at Shoshone Falls and the Snake River Canyon

We’ve seen many spectacular waterfalls in our travels. After driving a narrow road down into the Snake River Canyon, we rounded a curve for our first view of the falls. They were a marvelous surprise, and my spontaneous reaction was “Oh – wow!”

Jumping the Snake

Evel Knievel Attempts to Jump the Snake River Canyon

A few miles downriver, we visited a 60+ foot sloped mound of dirt on the southern edge of the Snake River Canyon. This was the spot where, on September 8, 1974, daredevil Evel Knievel attempted to soar nearly a third of a mile across the Snake River Canyon on a rocket powered motorcycle.

There was considerable media hype for the event, and Pat and I remember watching as the motorcycle failed to complete the jump (by a considerable distance). A parachute opened not long after the takeoff and lowered Knievel to a safe landing.

After stressful offroad 4×4 adventures with Max in 2021, we decided to pass on an attempt of our own Snake River jump in our truck camper, even if the new truck is bigger and stronger!

Our day ended a few miles south of Twin Falls at the Nevada border town of Jackpot. Jackpot is the home of a large casino and campground.

Send Those Name Ideas!

Many thanks to you who have sent name suggestions for our truck and truck camper. We’re still welcoming additional suggestions and will let you know our choices in the next few weeks!

Next Week

We drive south through Nevada to Valley of Fire State Park, near Las Vegas. Was cold weather finally behind us?

Along the way we have an extraterrestrial experience.

Cold Nights and Names that are Right

(2023 Alaska Revisited Ep 2)

Since picking up our truck camper on March 30, it has been COLD. Daytime highs have been in the 40s most days and it has dropped below freezing each night. Early in the week, portions of I-84 in eastern Oregon had winter travel advisories. One morning In Idaho, our water connections froze when the low was 15!

Along the road in eastern Oregon. We we thankful for snowplows and dry weather

The cold weather has restricted our daytime outdoor activities and we have needed to use electricity each evening. Thank goodness for our portable electric heater!

As we drive south to find warmer weather, we have met a number of other campers doing the same!

We left Portland on a chilly morning, truck camper mostly set up and stocked for the trip ahead.

Our route was I-84 along the Columbia River Gorge. There are tall bluffs on both sides of the river and across the river is Washington (state).

A number of waterfalls are visible along the route and we stopped to see an iconic Oregon waterfall, Multnomah Falls.

The falls are the tallest in Oregon at 620 feet. There are actually two falls (the upper portion is 524 feet) and we walked up several switchbacks to the Benson Bridge, a footbridge at the brink of the lower falls.

It was fairly crowded, with a number of families posing for photos on the drizzly Sunday afternoon. Of course, we did the same!

There was a heavy iron fence along the trail to the footbridge – wondering if it was to keep hikers safe from hungry T-rex dinos

Continuing on I-84, we saw several impressive hydroelectric dams and ship locks along the river.

We stopped at Bonneville Dam, 40 miles east of Portland. It was completed in 1937 as the largest water impoundment project in the US at the time. The dam is half a mile long and 171 foot tall, and produces enough electricity for a half million homes!

Although security was tight and photos weren’t allowed, we toured the visitor center, remaining inside due to a heavy downpour. On the bottom floor we saw a few fish swimming about behind large windows that provide an underwater view of a fish ladder. Charts on the wall indicate many more fish are visible during late summer salmon migrations.

We crossed several snow-covered mountain passes and although the rains had ended, it actually got colder! We slowed our travels a bit to avoid threatening winter weather on a couple of the passes, and it was snowing as we arrived at a Boondocker’s Welcome location in Cove, Oregon.

Bob, the host, kindly let us join him by a warm, wood-burning stove on his back patio, enjoying a view of mountains on one side and distant valley on the other.

Names Needed!

As RabbiTRAILS blog followers, you may have noticed our prior Chevy truck and two travel trailers had names. There is a story behind each of these names:

Max, our 2017 Chevy Silverado 1500, came equipped with the ‘max’ trailer towing package that allowed us to tow more than 11,000 pounds. We never towed anything that heavy thank goodness, but the name stuck.

Pancake, our Alaska bound travel trailer

We adopted Pancake, our 2008 Funfinder travel trailer in 2011. The prior owners named it for their camping tradition to make pancakes the first morning whenever they camped in the little trailer.

Oscar, our home to Newfoundland and several other trips

In 2019 we purchased Oscar from an RV dealer in Frankfort, IL, just south of Chicago. We made a connection between Frankfort and frankfurters, and a well known producer of frankfurters: Oscar Meyer. Thus Oscar became the name of our Shadow Cruiser travel trailer.

We’d welcome your suggestions of names of our new camping setup. Here are some details to get your brain cells working:

Our truck and truck camper – trying to get warm!

Truck – 2023 Chey Silverado 3500HD. Purchased from a dealer in Harrisburg PA.

Camper – 2023 Wolf Creek 890 truck camper. Purchased from a dealer in Portland OR.

Next week: join us as our long road takes us to the La Grande, Oregon plant where our truck camper was birthed. We continue to Twin Falls, Idaho where we view Shoshone Falls on the Snake River and the site where a well-known daredevil attempted to jump the river on a rocket-powered motorcycle.

Until then, please like and comment, and don’t forget those truck/truck camper name suggestions!

We’re Taking the LONG Long Road (Again)

(2023 Alaska Revisited Ep 1)

We left Alaska for home in early September 2018. Although we had many wonderful experiences on the 12,000 mile trip (at that point), we didn’t look forward to the 5000+ miles ahead of us to get home.

Were we crazy for driving so far? Was it worth it?

These questions and more were answered as we crossed back into the US few weeks later. The long trip WAS worth it. The remoteness, the wildlife and the adventure of the trip was life changing.

And like many others who have driven to Alaska, we yearned to make the trip again.

It’s five years later and we’ve decided to act on our longing to visit Alaska again.

Some Updates

In January, we said goodbye to Max, our Chevy pickup truck.

Max, our 2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup

Although we had significant repairs to Max in 2022, he took us on more than fifteen months of great trips, including:

Alaska in 2018 (link)

Fireweed and Denali, Max and Pancake panorama, northern lights

Grand Teton and Southwest in 2019 (link)

Flowers at Badlands NP, relaxing at Devil’s Tower NM, the Grand Tetons

Michigan and Blue Ridge Mountains in 2020

Sunset at Lake Michigan, Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Pictured Rocks National Seashore

Colorado, Utah and Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta in 2021

Delicate Arch at Arches NP, slotted canyon at Lee’s Ferry, AZ, peach pie at Capital Reef NP, Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta

Newfoundland in 2022 (link)

Sunset on Cadillac Mountain (Acadia NP), showing the way at L’anse aux Meadows NF, Cape Bonavista Lighthouse in NF, awaiting first sunrise in North America at Cape Spear near St John’s, NF

We replaced Max with a heavy duty pickup. This much larger truck would allow us to change our mode of camping.

During the above trips we camped in a travel trailer. The 2018 Alaska trip was in Pancake, a 16-foot Funfinder travel trailer.

The 2019-2022 trips were in Oscar, a 24-foot Shadow Cruiser travel trailer.

Views of Oscar

Both trailers served us well for many miles and nights of camping.

We desired a simpler and more flexible way to travel and camp, so we sold Oscar and purchased a Wolf Creek truck camper…from a dealer in Portland.

Portland OREGON – 3000 miles from home and almost half way to Alaska!

The new camper will rest entirely on the bed of our truck – it’s called a truck camper. It’s a bit smaller, but there is no trailer to hitch and pull, no slide to contend with and we will be considerably more nimble.

This now brings us to our newest journey: 2023 Alaska Revisited!

The Florida Hillbillies

On March 25 we started west with our truck packed with six months of camping gear and two bicycles.

Florida Hillbillies with their truck packed to the gills

A friend said we resembled the Beverly Hillbillies. So we wrote some lyrics as our trip gets underway:

A theme song instrumental to put you mood to sing-along!

Come and listen to my story about Pat and Ed

Max was their truck and Oscar was their bed

Traded them in and got something new

A real big truck and a kangaroo


Chevy that is, 3500 HD, truck camper too


Well the first thing you know they’re making lotsa plans

Their friends asked “are you touring distant lands”?

Five years later Alasky was the place to go

So they packed up their rig and hit the road.


Denali that is.  Icy glaciers.  Alaska RabbiTRAILs!


So say goodbye to Ed and Pat as they get underway

And they would like to thank you for your prayers along the way

Watch for weekly blog postings about their new abode

Reminding you to follow as they take the long, long road!


RabbiTRAILS that is.  Browse a spell.  See you real soon.

And add some comments, y’hear!

NEXT WEEK: we endure the long 3000-mile trip to Portland and pick up our truck camper. After a couple days setting up the camper, our journey begins.

2022 Endings, 2023 Beginnings

(2022 Newfoundland Ep 22)

Leaving Corning, NY, we drove south through colorful rolling hills in central Pennsylvania. We boondocked at a Cracker Barrel near Harrisburg and continued on I-81 across the tips of Maryland and West Virginia.

Our destination was near Roanoke, VA, where we planned to camp for a couple nights at Peaks of Otter on the Blue Ridge Parkway. From there, we would continue south to visit friends near Knoxville and our daughter and her family in Georgia.

But we had to make an unexpected change to these plans!

A few miles into western Virginia, Max started to shudder and make odd noises. We limped to a garage in the next town to have Max looked at. The mechanic gave us bad news: he suspected Max’ problems were the transmission.

We backtracked a few miles to the nearest Chevrolet dealer in Winchester, VA and the diagnosis was confirmed. Max needed a new transmission.

After two days and quite a few dollars, Max was repaired.

Deciding not to risk further travels through the mountains to Knoxville and Georgia, we beelined it down I-95, instead, arriving home on October 15.

We are thankful despite issues with Max

Our three month Newfoundland trip spanned nearly 10,000 miles, across 17 states and 4 provinces. We camped in 44 different locations and visited remote areas where we enjoyed exploring, biking and hiking during overall great weather. Oscar provided trouble-free accommodations and we were healthy throughout the trip.

Back Home

After Thanksgiving with family at our home, we spent several days in Ft Myers, FL doing hurricane relief work for homeowners affected by Hurricane Ian on September 28. We volunteered again with Samaritan’s Purse, part of the Billy Graham organization, gutting flood damaged homes so they could be rebuilt.

Ready for Hurricane Relief Work in Ft Meyers

Steve and Audra were among the 80+ volunteers serving that week with SP. We learned that we share a passion for travel, adventure and giving back. Their YouTube blog has excellent videos about their cargo van conversion and recent Florida travels.

One of their recent blog episodes gives a moving recap of the impact of Hurricane Ian and the work done by Samaritan’s Purse teams. This video is definitely worth watching: click here for video

Christmas and Beyond

We had an enjoyable Christmas as we celebrated the ‘Good News’ of Jesus’ birth.

Starting in January, we will explore new RabbiTRAILS at several Florida state parks south of Tampa and in the Florida Keys. We’re also planning a longer journey in the Spring and will share plans when things firm up. Watch for blog updates.

Until then, we pray you will be blessed as you take the LONG ROAD and follow your own RabbiTRAILS in 2023!

Gorgeous Gorge and Classy Glass

(2022 Newfoundland Ep 21)

From the Utica area, we drove southwest through New York hill country past small towns, lush vineyards and fertile farms. Our destination was a Harvest Host location and state park in Watkins Glen, NY.

We camped for the night in a field at Sunset View Creamery. The creamery is a large dairy farm with a nice store where we sampled (and purchased) several types of cheese along with other local farm products.

By then, it was mid-afternoon and we had to hurry to visit Watkins Glen. Although the town is noted for its role in auto racing, our visit was to see the gorge at Watkins Glen State Park

The large parking lot was crowded when we arrived. There is a charge to park but entrance to the state park and gorge is free. We crossed a busy street and the entrance to the gorge trail was ahead.

The trail starts at the bottom of the 400-foot deep gorge and continues for 1.5 miles as it follows a small stream up 832 steps. The paved trail goes over and under waterfalls, bridges and tunnels. The layered sides of the gorge were accented here and there with trees displaying colorful autumn leaves.

The trail ends at the top of the gorge, where you can hike one of two trails along the top of the gorge or take an inexpensive shuttle back to the bottom of the gorge. Some visitors start with the shuttle and then take the steps down to the entrance. We think the views are better hiking up the gorge however.

The park has a lot to offer in addition to the gorge – a campground and cabins (both were closed for the season when we visited), biking and other hiking trails.

After a chilly no-hookups night at the Creamery, we arose early the next morning for a short drive to Corning NY to visit the Corning Museum of Glass.

The museum and town of Corning are worthy of a day or two visit, but we only had a few hours to explore the museum.

The museum has exhibits ranging from ancient glass artifacts more than 3500 years old to contemporary glass art, as well as various scientific and practical uses of glass in modern society. There were also several live glass-blowing demonstrations.

CMOG has glass antiquities and modern art displays, plus live glassblowing demonstrations

Who’d have thought there was so much to see at a glass museum!

After a quick lunch we were on the road again heading south to spend the night in Pennsylvania. We were on the way to Virginia and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Next week: our plans take yet another unexpected turn.

What was it?

The photo below (2022 Newfoundland Ep 19 Autumn in Vermont blog post) was taken at the Old Stone House Museum in Brownington, VT.

The device is a MOUSE TRAP! When triggered, a portion of the trap rotates and deposits the mouse in the adjacent screened box. This trap is more humane than a spring-loaded mouse crusher!

Garlic Fries and Feasts for Eyes

(2022 Newfoundland Ep 20)

With Vermont behind us, we continued through the Adirondacks and were surprised with the remoteness of the area, considering we were in New York. We passed through Spectacular, aptly named for the colorful fall drive we were enjoying.

Spectacular evening view of the farm adjacent to our campground

Max’ gas gauge was between half and quarter full. To continue or not to continue? We decided to play it safe and turned around to fill up at the only gas station in town and for more than 30 miles in each direction. You can’t take chances when you get 10 MPG.

Downtown Utica NY and Golden’s (Google Streetview)

We set up camp and the next rainy morning we visited Utica, a small city several miles away on the Mohawk River. Lunch was at Golden’s, a highly rated tiny downtown restaurant, where we tried Utica Burgers. The burgers were topped with cherry peppers, pesto, mozzarella and tomato, and included sides of garlic parmesan fries.

The burgers were good.

The fries were GREAT!

After lunch we visited the Erie Canal. Completed in 1825, the canal extends 351 miles east-west from the Hudson River to Lake Erie. It is 120 feet wide and 12 feet deep, and a series of 34 locks raise and lower vessels a total of 565 feet.

At Lock 20 State Canal Park, just outside Utica, we watched a small tug boat and canal maintenance barge enter the lock. The downstream gates closed and the lock filled with water. A few minutes later the water level had risen 16 feet and the upstream gates opened. The tug and barge were on their way.

Quiet Erie Canal downstream from Lock 20

Similar to historic railroads, Pat and I are fascinated by canals – they are rich in history and much slower paced than interstates and airports. We dreamed of taking a boat trip on the canal or riding some of the bike trail adjacent to the canal. Unfortunately, our time was short. Perhaps on a future trip…

Where is the trail? Hard-to-find blazes showed us the way

We hiked the Vista Trail in Black River Wild Forest near our campground the next morning. The hike wasn’t long but it was challenging because a thick mat of colorful leaves completely covered the forest floor and trail itself. We hiked across low wet areas and climbed rock outcroppings as we searched for small blaze markers attached to trees and rocks. Our slow-going efforts were finally rewarded: we enjoyed lunch at the vista where the fall leaves had peaked and were visible all the way to the distant hills.

Next week: we near the end of our Newfoundland Journey as we hike Watkins Glen State Park and tour the Corning Museum of Glass.

Autumn in Vermont

(2022 Newfoundland Ep 19)

From Canada we crossed the border into Vermont. It felt like home.

Road signs were in feet/miles, not meters/kilometers.
We didn’t have to do mental math to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit when seeing a roadside thermometer.
Gasoline was less expensive – $3.40 (US) gallon, versus $1.60 (CDN) liter (about $4.46 (US) gallon). On Newfoundland gas was as much as $5.50 (US) gallon.
We no longer needed loonies, toonies or multicolored paper currency displaying the Queen. We could use paper currency adorned with George, Abe, Alexander and Andrew.
We got pennies in our change. Canada doesn’t use pennies – all transactions are rounded to the nearest five cents.
And, if you think US sales taxes are high, be thankful they are not as high as those in Canada. 15% HST (harmonized sales tax) is charged on most transactions in Canada. Those taxes quickly add up!

Old Stone House Museum in Brownington, VT

It was early October and we experienced the lowest nighttime temperatures thus far in our trip, dropping to near freezing as we camped on the grounds of the Old Stone House Museum in Brownington, VT. We stayed warm with several blankets and a thick comforter, and ran the RV furnace the next morning.

The museum is part of Brownington Historic Village and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The large stone building was built in 1836 by Alexander Twilight, the nation’s first African-American college graduate. He was minister of the Brownington Congregational Church and principal of Orleans County Grammar School, both in the village. The building was originally a dormitory for students attending the school.

Today, the museum houses four floors of fascinating artifacts. During a guided tour of the museum, we learned about Twilight and various museum displays, and were told many interesting stories about the building through the years.

The village and museum are worth a visit when in the area.

We continued south to central Vermont, where the fall colors were on full display. Around every turn we enjoyed the yellow, red and orange leaves and deep blue autumn sky.

Covered bridges, waterfalls and beautiful fall vistas

One day we drove back roads in Green Mountain National Forest across several covered bridges. After coffee and a toasted bagel at a coffee shop in an old house in Warrenton, we hiked to several waterfalls. The next day we sampled donuts and hot apple cider at Cold Hollow Cider Mill near Waterbury and later toured Ben and Jerry’s ice cream production plant nearby.

We sampled apple cider and donuts, and visited Ben and Jerry’s, where there’s a line for ice cream even when it’s cold!

In just about every town there are quaint markets that sell jams, fresh baked goods, maple syrup, pumpkins and lots more. Outside Woodstock, we crossed a narrow covered bridge and drove nearly 10 miles down a dusty dirt road to Sugarbush Farm. We toured the farm’s sugar house to see where watery maple tree sap is boiled to become sweet syrup – it takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. We then hiked to a nearby hillside where thousands of maple trees are impaled with small plastic taps and interconnected with miles of plastic tubing used to collect sap from late February to mid-March.

Maple syrup boiler and tapped maple trees at Sugarbush Farm

As we drove through the town nearest our campground, we noticed a sign for Vermont Castings Stove Company. During the 1970s Ed’s parents subscribed to Yankee Magazine where there were enticing advertisements for wood burning stoves made by the company.

Pat and I added a family room to our home in 1991 and installed a small Vermont Castings Intrepid stove for heat. More than 30 years later we toured the factory where the Intrepid and other stove models are cast.

Shown above: the process where recycled auto brake drums are melted and poured into casts, and then cleaned and packed for shipment to an assembly plant in Pennsylvania. We are admiring one of the colorful finished models.

Next week: we continue south through the Adirondacks to the finger lakes region in New York, where we hike an amazing trail in Watkins Glen State Park and visit the Museum of Glass in Corning NY.

Along the LONG ROAD

(2022 Newfoundland Ep 18)

Over the course of 90 days and nearly 10,000 miles, one is bound to see some interesting sights. Our trip to NF didn’t disappoint!

LONG EXTENSION CORD: Between NF towns there are few houses, fewer gas stations and scant cell service.

After leaving the remote Codroy Valley, we stopped for a break at a small parking area ‘in the middle of nowhere.’ We couldn’t buy gas or use our cell phones. But we could have charged our Tesla (if we had one)!

PRONOUNCE THIS: The route to a campground in Nova Scotia included a short distance on the road below. We thought there might be a science research center or hazardous waste site nearby. There wasn’t.

Biorachan is associated with a traditional Scottish Gaelic children’s story and is pronounced “bear-i-can.’

RED CHAIRS: We enjoyed sitting in red Adirondack chairs throughout NF. They can be found at scenic locations at many of Canada’s National Parks.

Red chairs at Fundy, Cape Spear Sunrise Point, Gros Morne, Lobster Cove, Signal Hill and Cape Spear Lighthouse.

OUR NEXT RV? We saw a variety of camping rigs on our trip. A large family was travelling in this interesting “schoolie” parked in a Walmart parking lot.

ALIEN SPACE POD: This interesting ‘cabin’ at Terra Nova NP is called an Oasis. Each Oasis pod has a convertible table/bed on the main level, a hammock suspended above and a windowed top to watch for the mother ship.

BROWN GRAVY: A fellow camper and I were discussing the blessings of long marriage – he had been married for more than 50 years. He told me about a traditional NF wedding greeting: may your marriage last longer than this bottle of gravy browning.

Only a few drops are needed to brown gravy – a small bottle is said to last a lifetime!

WHERE ARE THEY HIDING? Canada has lots of road signs that warn drivers about moose and caribou. We saw no (live) caribou, four moose and two moose burgers.

COLD WINTER: Pictured below is a mounted fur bearing (beaver) trout caught during the winter of 1927-28 at a lake in Vermont. The rare fish and photo of the lucky fisherman can be seen at the Old Stone House Museum in Brownington, VT.

COMMUNITY MAPS: Many small towns in western NF have kiosks with useful maps that show local points of interest.

ONE MAN’s TRASH… In western NF each house has a treasure box at the end of the driveway. The boxes are used to store garbage before weekly pickup.

HONEST PEOPLE: There are massive piles of firewood, tall stacks of drying lobster traps and small garden plots along the roads in western NF. There is a code of honor in the small communities where everyone knows everyone and property is respected.

NEXT WEEK: fall colors in Vermont and New York.

Taller Than Niagara!

(2022 Newfoundland Ep 17)

Old Quebec City has similarities to St. Augustine, FL – an interesting history, a large fort used for defense and delightful restaurants. Both have natural features worth visiting as well.

St. Augustine has beautiful beaches nearby and Quebec City has Parc de la Chute-Montmorency or Montmorency Waterfalls just 15 minutes east of the city.

At 272 feet, Montmorency Falls are spectacular – nearly 100 feet taller than Niagara Falls!

Our falls visit was damp, alternating between light rain and mist from the falls. We viewed the top of falls from a suspension bridge – only few yards away from the brink of the falls. Far below, the flow from the falls extended to the St. Lawrence River.

We descended a steep panorama staircase for a bottom-up view and stop at the visitor center.

Although a cable car was available for a ride to the top of the falls where Max was parked, we decided to climb 487 stairs back to the top. We stopped often to enjoy the views and catch our breath!

We left Quebec City the next morning and headed south towards Vermont. The warm weather we enjoyed since coming to Canada nearly two months earlier was changing to cooler days and cold nights. The fall colors were at their peak as we camped two nights and hiked at Quebec’s Parc national de Frontenac (Frontenac Provincial Park). What a beautiful sight it was!

Even ladybugs were displaying all colors

Our last night in Canada was at The Farmhouse, a Harvest Host location near our border crossing to Vermont.

The Farmhouse is a small farm dedicated to education and poverty relief, where food grown is shared with others. It is part of Foundations for Farming, an organization that trains small scale farmers in all aspects of farming conservation, agriculture and sustainability. Started in 1982 by a farmer of Dutch descent in Zimbabwe, FtF is now in 11 countries. Their farming practices have been taught to more than three million farmers around the world.

We were given a tour of the farm by Serge, who picked an interesting selection of lettuce, kale and colorful flowers that we enjoyed with dinner that evening.

The next morning we rose to the sound of corn being harvested across the highway. Before reentering the US a couple of hours later, we made a final, mandatory stop at Tim Horton’s for coffee and a donut.

Our visit to Canada had come to a close and we were glad to be HOME!

NEXT WEEK: autumn in Vermont and New York.