Michigan

I guess I haven't updated for a few days.While we were in New York we were able to take a little crusie on the Erie Canal. We went through 2 locks. It was interesting to learn a little bit about the canal and to see it in person even though the original has been redone a time or two. I think I wrote on Sunday and then lost it. I actually thought I had posted. We went to church on Sunday and then Monday we were off to Canada. We crossed north of Niagara Falls and traveled to the shore of Lake Erie. The mosquitoes were very bad so we stayed in our trailer most of the evening. That was a bad day for me since I wasn't able to use my gps. It took asking about 5 people for directions to get me to camp. The next night we stayed at a campground at Port Stanley. I assume it was close to Lake Erie as well but I never saw the lake on that day. Today we traveled on and are back in the USA. We crossed the Saint Clarie River on a ferry. Paul and I were going to meet up and cross together but he ended up taking a different ferry. When I went through customs they wanted to search my trailer and truck. The only thing I can figure is that I looked like a terriorist. Fortunately they didn't find anything and I was let back into the country. The river was a beautiful shade of blue. It took me by surprise. Even though we were only in Canada for 2 nights it is good to be back in the USA. This weekend is Canada Day and of course this weekend is the 4th of July. We will be camping an extra day for the holiday.

Niagara Falls

Yesterday we arrived at this campground about 30 miles froim Niagara Falls. today we spent the day at the falls. We went on the Maiden of the mist boat up to the base of the falls and got sprayed from the mist. They give everyone a poncho to keep them from getting wet and they are needed for sure. It is quite an awesome site to be at the base Then we walked out to what they call Cave of the Winds. They gave us sandals to where and another poncho and we were able to walk right out close and even get wet from the Bridal Veil Falls. We rode the trolley and went to the aquarium and the Discovery Center. By the time we were through we were tired but had thoroughly enjoyed our day. A quick stop at Subway turned out to be our dinner. Tomorrow we will travel to Lockport for church.

Palmyra

We are still in Palmyra New York and have had a busy day of visiting historical sites. This morning we went to the Hill Cumorah and walked up to the top of the hill. It is covered with trees and we were told that was the way it was when Joseph Smith recieved the plates from the angel Moroni. They are preparing for a big pagent here in the coming weeks. We are no longer alone in the fair grounds camping area. There are about 7 big rigs that have pulled in as part of the preperations for this pagent. It sure would be nice to be able to stay and see it but the time frame just won't work. Then we visited the site where the Book Of Mormon was published. As we were visiting with one of the guides there we found that we both graduated from the same high school in the same year. Of course I didn't recognise her nor she me. Still it is a small world, especially in the church. The truck says it is 86 degrees outside today and with the rain from this morning it is very humid. It takes very little effort to fell all hot and sweaty. I am glad we have our air conditioner today. We will be back on the road tomorrow.

Palmyra New York

Last night we listened to the weather forcast and the forcast called for thunderstorms and rain during the night. This morning about 5:00 the wind came up and we had thunder and lightening and then a rain shower. Paul got off about 1 1/2 hours late but the rain had stopped by the time he left. I left about 11 and it soon started to rain so Paul rode in the rain most of the day and most of my drive was in the rain. We are camped at the Wayne County Fairgrounds tonight. We are the only people camping here and we had to have someone come and unlock the bathrooms. I guess when they have a pagent here in July they are fulll of people camping here. We are taking tomorrow off from traveling to do some sight seeing in this town. Several events of importance to our church happened in this area so we are going to visit some of them. Today we visited the farm of Joseph Smith's family and the Sacred Grove. Tomorrow we are going to the Hill Cumorah and David Witmer's family farm. We are pleased that the bike trail takes us right through Palmyra.

Fulton NY

Yesterday afternoon we took a walk down by the river and saw all kinds of man made cut markings in the rock. When I asked the owner of the camp ground what they were he told me that they had quarried pieces of rock from that river as well as others in the area to make the Erie Canal. There were some canals in the area and and he said that was how they barged the stones to the canal. We also saw little fish and little tadpoles in the river. Where they had made the cuts actually had little streams of water running in them. Today we moved on from Boonville to Fulton. Along the way there were a number of signs with a horse and buggy on them. I never saw any horses or buggies but Paul did. Tomorrow we will be in Palmyra. We are going to take a day off from traveling to spent in Palmyra. It is not a big place or important to the world but it figures prominently in our churches history. Today we are camped on a very nice lake. There are many lakes in New York, many more than I ever realized. We are out of the mountains and into rolling hills covered with trees.

New York

We have basically been off the grid the last couple of days so have not posted. We had a restful but buggy weekend. Our campground was on Long Lake in the Adirondack Mountains. The weather was pleasant but there were so many bugs that it was hard to enjoy being outside. They have these annoying little black flies here that you really don't even see land on you that bite and leave a little blister kind of bite. I hope we get out of them soon. We have been told that they die back about the 4th of July. Now we are out of the mountains and I am hopeing we will have less bugs. Sunday we were not able to attend church because the nearest one was over 60 miles away wo we stayed in camp and Paul cleaned up his bike. He pretty much needs to do it every weekend. Then we went to town where there was a hot spot and was able to get on Skype and visit with several of our kids at once. This was one of the few days that our son in Brazil was  able  to call beings it was Father's Day. It was nice to visit with him as well as Justin and Valerie and Christian and Yumi and Naomi and Jean and Brent. Brent spilled the big news that he is engaged to Christine and they are planning an Oct. Wedding. Today we left the mountains and are travelling through upstate New York. We passed many beautiful lakes, some of them named, creatively, Eightth Lake and Seventh Lake. Paul and I arrived within about 15 minutes of each other at this campground and were able to empty our sewer water. Then we went to the Hamlet of Boonville and got subway sandwiches.They really tasted good. It has been a while since we did that.

Middlebury Vermont

We are still in Vermont today. It was a day of ups and downs, some freeways and some very small roads. We had a few showers but not too much. This afternoon it looks like it could rain as well. I got an unexpected call from someone back home who has just completed the part of the trip that we are starting. It is always nice to visit with someone from home and share experiences. Tomorrow, New York.

Vermont

Yesterday we were camped in a Forest service campground where we did not have internet service or cell phone coverage so I didn't write anything. We have been traveling through the Applacian Mountains so it has been a lot of hills. There seems to be a big bike rally or something going on because there are hundreds of motorcycles in the area. This morning when I left camp I waited for many motorcycles to pass before I could enter the road and leave camp. After sitting there for a while I decided to start counting bikes to get an idea of how many there were and at least another 100 bikes that I counted went by before any car, then there were more on the roads. On one of the roads I drove today I was behind a student driver of a semi truck. It was a steep road and the truck went very slow both up and down the road and there was no place to pass. I rally didn't mind since I wanted to take the road slow as well. Parts of it were 9% grade. Paul actually arrived at our campground first today but he would not have if I had not been behind that truck. I got in about 15 minutes after he did. Tomorrow Pauls route takes him through Sharon Vermont which is the birth place of Joseph Smith so when we got to camp we drove over and visited the monument to him and the visitors center. It was very nice and then we stopped for an ice cream. The weather has warmed up again and the high was in the low 80"s today. We will spend one more night in Vermont and then back to New York.

West Poland Me

This will be our last night in Maine. Then we are on to New Hampshire and Vermont. Today was a drive that took some studying to figure out how to arrive here. Paul and I both made it without getting lost. Yahoo! Tomorrow we have a mountain pass to cross but less miles to drive/ride. It was another rainy drizzley day but the cool weather I think is easier on Paul.Tomorrow it is supposed to be partly cloudy and up into the 70's. The high today was probably in the 50's or maybe low 60's. I really didn't think I would be wearing my long pants and sweatshirt any more until winter but this week we have been. I would like to have spent some time outside today but in this campground there is a lot of mosquitoes so it is not very inviting. There is a nice lake with forest around it so it is pretty. I never dreamed there were so many trees in this country as we have seen it these eastern states.

Bar Harbor to Northport

Well today we are back on the road. Yesterday it rained all day so we were hopeing the weather would be better today. It was, but not perfect. Most of the time Paul was riding there was mist but not heavy rain. We went about 73 miles today. Tomorrow will be a very long day for Paul, his longest yet because it is the only place we can find to camp.When I pulled into our campground today and checked in they said if we turn on the heat or air conditioning they want us to pay an extra 3 dollars. It seems like the camping is expensive enough without the extras. This is the first time we have had this experience. Fortunately the weather is not so cold that we need to turn on the heat even though we did use our heater the last 2 nights in Acadia National Park. We have been studying our maps for the trip home and we still have over 4000 miles to go to get there.

BAR HARBOR MAINE!

Yesterday we arrived in Bar Harbor Maine. It was a short travel day for us, only about 50 miles. After we set up camp we drove through Acadia National Park. We drove to the top of Cadillac Mt where there is a sign  that says if you were here when the sun camp up you would see the first rays of the sun as they hit the USA, as it is the hightest point on the Atlantic coast. Of course we were not there at 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning but it was still a marvelour view of the islands and Atlantic Ocean. Paul is having his bike worked on while we are here so we went to town after to see how things were coming with it. Then we walked around town for a while and then went on a sunset cruise on a 151 ft, 4 masted sailboat. It was a very nice evening for a cruise and enough wind to move us along. It was the perfect ending to the day.We are camped in an area where we have no cell phone coverage and therefore no internet so I may not log on until Manday. We will beheading West and towards home.

Shady Oaks Campground in Orland Maine

Today we have moved on another inch on the map. Tomorrow we will arrive in Bar Harbor! It is rather warm and humid today so we are using the air conditioner. Paul is still recovering from his ailment and woke this morning bathed in sweat. In fact his sheets were soaked this morning on his side of the bed. I washed them for tonight. He seems to be feeling better tonight.
When we get to Bar Harbor he will have a few days to rest and recover as we will stay there until Monday. We may not have internet service there so we may not be able to post until Monday. 

Lake Pemiquid

Today was an uneventful day. The drive went smooth and I got set up all before Paul got here. The weather was supposed to be hot but we were close enough to the coast that it was not bad. Tomorrow is supposed to be hot as well and then it is supposed to get cooler again. We spent a little time in the hot tub and then showered and took a walk along the lake. It is a beautiful lake surrounded by a mixed variety of trees. I guess I need to fix dinner now.

Maine at last!

Today we crossed the border into Maine. I must admit I almost got a little weepy at the realization that we have come so far. Paul rode again today even though he was not feeling good last night. He made it to our camp today and seems to be doing better. He actually saw some of the coast today which I did not since I was on freeways must of the drive. I expect that I will get to see some of the coast as we head to Bar Harbor. The weather here has been perfect but tomorrow they are saying it will get hot and humid. I think we may be close enough to the coast to miss some of that. Today when I pulled into our campground the first thing I notices was MANY misketoes. I hurryed and set up camp and went into the trailer. I guess tonight will be an inside evening even though we did get in the hot tub for a short while.

Windsor Locks Ct-Littleton Mass-Brentwood NH

I guess this is what happens when you miss a couple of days. Here we are now in New Hampshire. From Windwsor Locks we went into Mass. My route took me through Springfield where they had tornados the past week. I was only on the freeway so did not see any sign of the damages. What a spring this has been for bad weather. I am so gratefull that we have always been far away form it. Saturday Paul rode 110 miles and when he got to camp he was not feeling well. He had the shakes and fever. I am not sure if it is exhaustion or he caught a cold. At least Sunday was a rest day and he did pretty good but still not feeling great. Of course he rode today and tonight he is really not feeling very good. I am hopeing he will take a day or two to recover before he rides again. We are getting so close to Bar Harbor and we just can't wait to turn West and head home. There are many hills in this part of the country and the roads are hard for Paul to find and to ride on. Sunday after church we had a neat experience. My ancestors were early settlers in Mass and we were able to find some names on head stones and on a placque placed to recognize Mattias Farnsworth who was an original citizen in Groton Mass. He lived in this area in the mid 1600. I looked his name up on the internet and someone had written a little book titled Mattias Farnsworth and his desendants in America. I have enjoyed reading some of it and am looking forward to reading more about this line of my ancestors. It was cool to find the memorial placque. Tonight we are camped in a very pretty campground with some nice ponds. I have walked down by the ponds and have seen fish swimming in it and turtles swimming there as well. The temperature was about 77 today acording to my truck and has been very nice.

Windsor Locks CT

Today we saw a sign that said Welcome to Conneticut. One more state under our belt. Tonight we are staying at a motel 6 because we could not find a campground for tonight. We found one but it cost more than the motel. We ordered pizza for dinner. Today was a challenging drive for me and a challenging ride for Paul. He rode 99 miles, all of it on hills big and small. I was actually driving on the same road for much of the time with many ups and downs and twists and turns. I am glad that tomorrow is Saturday so we can have a travel day off on Sunday.

Milford PA to Staasburg NY

We have passed into New York now and tomorrow we will be in Conn. and the next day Mass. Paul has travelled over 6000 miles by bike now so it feels like we are for sure over half done. Today i made a grocery run and restocked up on breand and milk etc. The drive was easier today. About half of it was on freeway and the other half was not so bad, not so many small towns. It just amazes me how forested this part of the country is. We have seem trees on the hills and along the roads for state after state. It is very green and pretty. They have had a wet winter and spring so I am not sure if it is always this way or it is just greener than usual.. Of course it is still spring. The day turned cooler and nice today. The high in my truck said it was 70 degrees and when we got to camp I actually put on my long pants for the first time in weeks. It is supposed to stay cooler and drier for the next week or so. It made Pauls ride more pleasant and sleeping easier. I guess there were tornados in mass. yesterday but the stormy weather is supposed to be gone for a while. This has been a rough weather year.

Milford PA

We are now about 12 miles from the NY border.My drive today was all among small towns with speed limits of 45 mphs or less except one short stretch on freeway that ended up being a toll road andxcost me $1.50. I think I was only on it for about 5 miles. The weather has been hot again but tomorrow is supposed to be cooler. I sure hope so. We are about 1 1/2 weeks out of Bar Harbor. That is a big deal for us because that is when we turn West. This part of the country is very pretty. It is quite hilly and in fact I saw a sign that referenced the Appalachian trail. I saw signs that lead to ski resorts so that gives you an idea that we are not on flat ground anymore.The hills are covered with various kinds of trees. Tomorrow I need to make a grocery stop so I hope I find a good grocery store on my way. Paul and I are travelling further and further away from each other as he takes his maps and I take the gps. I hope when we head west we will be travelling on the same roads more again. Until tomorrow.