Rain, Rain, Go Away

Kevin must have brought the rain with him from Portland.  It’s rainy, a bit foggy and a little gloomy.  Rain has never stopped Kevin before, so we’re up and on the road in a northerly path toward the Adirondacks.

A sign for the Saratoga National Historical Park caught my attention, and we detoured east for a visit.  The battles of Saratoga were much more significant than I had realized in deciding the outcome of the Revolutionary War.  The American victory here forced the surrender of a major British army and was one of the most decisive in history.  The visitor center has a great 3-D map of the battlefield, with accompanying audio and LED lights that illustrate the battles.



Saratoga National Historical Park



Saratoga National Historical Park

The weather made the day a perfect one for chores, and Kevin and I began a search for a laundromat in Glens Falls, New York.  When we asked Lucy, my somewhat schizophrenic GPS unit, for assistance, she led us to the middle of an upscale residential neighborhood.  Did she want us to ring someone’s doorbell and ask to use the washer and dryer?  This is not the first time Lucy has led us astray, and I am starting to seriously doubt her abilities.

We arrived at a nice campground in Schroon Lake, New York, but were immediately attached by mosquitos.  Mosquitos seem to be a theme of this trip.  I expect mosquitos in other parts of the country, but not here.  Apparently, Hurricane Irene has left behind a belated, stinging reminder of her destruction.

Getting A Charge

Today I said “good-bye” to Jane, and I did so reluctantly.  It was wonderful to spend a week with her, and I will be forever grateful for her joining me on the second leg of the trip.

After I dropped her off at the Albany, New York, airport, I had to attend to the RV.  The coach batteries had not been charging properly the last few days, which meant that we could only stay at campgrounds with electric hookups.

I ended up at Albany RV, and was taken care of immediately.  I felt so fortunate since I’d read such horror stories of people on the road waiting for days, or even weeks, for service.  The initial diagnosis was that the two coach batteries were bad, which didn’t make much sense since Van City RV had just checked them out one week earlier.  The technicians were sure, however, and promised to honor the warranty.  I was ok with two new batteries and told them to go ahead.



Albany RV

Unfortunately, when they returned from the Interstate battery dealer, they told me that the batteries were good, just discharged.  They checked the converter, which seemed to be ok, and determined that there must be an unknown draw on the batteries.  They also informed me that I would need to take the RV to a Leisure Travel Vans dealer for service.  Great!  The closest one was in Pennsylvania.  That’s the only downside to owning a Class B.  There are few dealers that carry and service Class Bs, particularly Sprinters.  The guys apologized for not being able to fix the problem, suggested that I stay in their lot for at least an hour to charge the batteries and try to leave the RV plugged in for at least 24 hours.  Staying in one place for a full day wouldn’t be possible for at least a week, so I limped away after getting a partial charge.  I’ll just keep looking for campgrounds with hookups and hope for the best.


Getting a Charge

The good news is that my friend Kevin from Portland arrived tonight.  He’s covering the last leg of the trip from Albany, New York, to Portland, Maine.  Kevin had flown to Boston on Saturday and spent the weekend there.  Can you believe that he won an iPad in a bar?  Some people have all the luck.

The Crack of the Bat

Although we started the day at the Erie Canal, today was all about baseball.  Jane is a huge baseball fan (she’s a Yankees fan even though she is from Providence, Rhode Island), and I was raised in a baseball-loving family (the Orioles, of course, since I’m from Baltimore).  Cooperstown was not too far away, and we just had to go there.



Lock at Mays Point, Erie Canal

Fifteen Miles on the Erie Canal

Sarah at Mays Point

Cooperstown is a wonderful historic town with a thriving main street and side streets featuring grand houses.  Even if you don’t want to visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, the town is a worthwhile destination.  We did both, although the focus was on the Hall of Fame.  Jane heard the “crack of the bat,” and we watched the movie and toured the exhibits.



Jane and Friends

My favorite part of the experience was watching the men who stopped at every display in the museum, trying to absorb it all.  Watching them walk into the Hall of Fame itself, however, was the best.  To them, it appeared to be a shrine, and each one approached his favorite “saint” reverently.  The men seemed to know exactly where to go to find the players they were looking for.

It's All About the Orioles

And the Yankees

Open House

It seems like many resort towns virtually close down after Labor Day.  Geneva-On-the-Lake is no exception.  The Sunrise Café was still open, however, and we decided to stop for breakfast.  This is the type of restaurant I love to find and is one that has probably been featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”  Corn pancakes, with whole kernels of corn, were delicious.  The motto of the café is “Eat, Pay, Leave,” which is exactly what we did.  What a wonderful way to start the morning.



Sunrise Cafe, Geneva-On-the-Lake, Ohio

Today was another long driving day on the interstate, and breaks were confined to rest stops.  Our first break was particularly memorable.  When I pulled into the parking area, I noticed another Class B Sprinter van.  We’ve seen quite a few on this trip, many more than I had expected, but this one was right in front of me.

The owner was standing nearby, so I approached him.  His Sprinter was converted by Sportsmobile, which customizes units to the owner’s specifications.  He gave me a tour and showed me the special features he had requested, including solar panels.  He had even camped in the van at -55° (his wife had more sense and stayed home).

I returned the favor and offered a tour of the Kat Karrier.  As the gentleman was admiring the interior finishes, several other people walked up.  Jane, who was outside with the cat (and who almost gave her away to a woman who said that she was taking the cat), had told them I would love to give a tour.  So we had open house in the parking lot at the rest stop.  I do, in fact, enjoy letting people see the RV.  I remember when I was initially looking at Class Bs, I would practically stalk the owners of any Class B I would come across.  I always hoped they would talk to me and possibly let me have a peek.  So many people are intrigued by this type of vehicle, and I’m happy to help educate them.

Jane and I ended the day at Women’s Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls, New York.  We never seem to have enough time for an in-depth visit at any of the parks we visit, and here we only were able to tour the exhibits before closing time.  The exhibits here are inspiring and made me appreciate anew the opportunities that I sometimes take for granted.



Jane and I and the Women

Women's Rights National Historical Park

After a few wrong turns and accusations that a certain passenger could not read a map (sorry, Jane), we arrived at the Oak Orchard Marina and Campground.  This was a wonderful site at Mays Point on the Erie Canal.  The mosquitos almost carried us away, however, and there was no way to sit outside.  We couldn’t even open a door without a swarm invading the RV.  Not to worry.  Jane the Hunter attached with a vengeance and determination I had never seen and managed to kill them all.  However, she kept her weapon of choice, an orange fly swatter, close by her side all night just in case.

View From Our Campsite at Oak Orchard Marina and Campground

A Day of Firsts

After a break on the back roads yesterday, it was time for the interstate again.  The Ohio State Highway Patrol was certainly active today.  I can’t ever remember seeing so many cars pulled over for one reason or another.

A quick stop at the First Ladies National Historic Site was more enlightening than expected.  A National Park Service student intern gave us a private tour of the home of First Lady Ida Saxton McKinley, while a young docent at the education center practiced her tour-giving skills with us as she took us through the new exhibit on first ladies in times of crisis.



First Ladies National Historic Site

Cuyahoga Valley National Park was the primary destination for the day.  One of my goals is to visit every national park in the country.  Cuyahoga is one of the newest national parks and was only designated in 2000.  It’s by no means your typical national park and is truly an urban park.  Situated between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio, the park was intended to bring national parks to people living in cities.



Boston Store

We visited the Boston Store, which is one of the park’s historic structures.  The store is located along the Ohio and Erie Canal which runs through the park.  Features like Brandywine Falls and the Everett Road Covered Bridge are interspersed between small towns and subdivisions.  It’s a beautiful area and a wonderful amenity for the neighboring cities, but it’s different.



Jane at Brandywine Falls



Brandywine Falls

Everett Covered Bridge

Can I Go Across the Bridge?

If you thought Lake Rudolph RV Resort was an unusual choice for a campground, just wait until you hear where we stayed tonight.  Geneva, Ohio, seemed to be a good destination, and Jane found what she thought was a lovely campground.  When we stopped to purchase a bottle of local Ohio wine, we asked the bartender for a recommendation.  He highly recommended a different campground, so we decided to follow his suggestion.  Imagine how surprised we were when we pulled into the NASCAR RV Resorts at Indian Creek in Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio!

It was too late to turn around, so we looked at each other and said, “Why not?”  I’ve never seen anything quite like it.  I’ve read about this type of campground, but seeing one in person was an eye-opener.  This was definitely a first for me.  There was a gate and guard, and a man in a golf cart escorted us to our site.  Ducks and swans swam in a pond with a fountain in the middle.  Activities abounded.  Roads and campsite pads were paved, and everything was manicured.



NASCAR Resorts at Indian Creek

Our site was very nice, on the end of a row next to a wooded area with lots of grass for the cat.  The bathrooms were spotless.  Although I never thought I’d camp in a place like this, I have to admit that it does have its advantages.

Lake Erie, Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio