Cheesy Polka: Mohican SP, Loudonville, Ohio 10/10/09

We left the campground traveling through the gaps and hollows of Appalachia. The colors continued to be fantastic, but we felt a bit claustrophobic in the sunless deep valleys of the mountains. When we finally crossed over the Ohio River and entered the rolling valleys of Ohio, it felt like an entirely different world. Eastern Ohio is stunningly beautiful, made up of colorful hardwood forests, picture perfect dairy farms set in green rolling hills and quaint towns. It was a perfect fall day (crisp weather & fluffy white clouds) to drive through the Amish country of Ohio. Perhaps because it was the holiday weekend, it seemed that every small town was having some sort of celebration. After stopping at one of the numerous cheese factories and sampling every variety of swiss cheese known to man, we arrived at Sugarland, the Little Swiss Village of Ohio. Polka music was broadcast, LOUDLY, over several blocks. When we decided we couldn’t take it anymore (in about 10 minutes), we headed to the next event, which was an Oktoberfest Wine and Cheese festival. Sure enough, as soon as we entered the building a LIVE octogenarian Polka band was entertaining the crowd - no they weren’t very good. (See today’s pic). We finally succumbed to the polka vibe and decided to stay for the event. We tasted more swiss cheese and every wacky cheese concoction imaginable (pumpkin swiss cheese balls, apple strudel cheese topping & burgundy wine cream cheese spread to just name a few), but finally decided upon a bratwurst sauerkraut sandwich for me and Mr. Ned decided to go whole hog with the bratwurst, sauerkraut AND accompanying brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes. Gotta love the mid-west. Now in the heart of Amish Country, passing numerous horse and buggies, laundry on the line, and Amish crafts everywhere, we decided to visit the Amish & Mennonite Heritage Center, aka the Behalt Museum. We were initially very interested in learning about the Amish way of life and thought this would be an educational and informative introduction. The Center also had a cyclorama, and after our incredible experience visiting the Gettysburg cyclorama, we couldn’t pass this up. Mmm, it felt more like an indoctrination of the Mennonite faith. The circular painting, 10 feet high and 265 feet long depicted every ghoulish and grotesque persecution and milestone of the Anabaptists. We were “treated” to a laser pointer description of each scene, the entire presentation lasting 30 or so minutes. This was after the 15 minute video on how cool the Mennonite and Amish way of life is. Shell shocked, we drove to the next town and lo and behold, they were having the Holmes County Antique Festival, complete with a parade! We decided to hit a local Laundromat (our clothes were still sopping wet from our previous day bike ride and the van was taking on a cheesy aroma) and watch the parade. We stayed for the vintage cars, but left before the decorated fire engines. When we finally arrived in Loudonville, our camping spot for the night, guess what – the town main street was closed off for their “Annual free street faire!” We immediately headed to the campground, secured our spot for the night, and took a tour of the State Park highlights. This included the gorge overlook and covered bridge. Call us crazy, but we decided to check out the street faire. It was really awful; about 6 blocks of fried carnival food – including fried cheese on a stick, bright new Kubota and John Deere tractors and kiddie rides. Feeling that the night was still young, we took a half hour ride into Wooster to check out the happenings. For a college town it was pretty much dead. We ended up eating a late dinner at a Greek Restaurant and had a delightful conversation with the owner. Fun Day.

Soggy Bottoms: North Bend SP, Cairo, WV 10/9/09

(Ned again) Once again we heard torrential rain throughout the night, but woke up to beautiful blue skies. Instead of the Interstate, we took Highway 40A (the Old National Highway, which started as an ancient Indian footpath, and was then used by trappers, explorers, militiamen, and pioneer settlers.) As we climbed over several passes of the Appalachian Mountains, and although we got rained upon at times, we were pleased to see that the fall colors of the Maryland Panhandle were just coming into their peak. We stopped and took photos of the beautiful Casselman Bridge, built in 1813, the largest stone arch in America at the time, and used continuously until 1933. (See today’s pic) Right up the road from there we stopped at the little town of Grantsville, an Amish & Mennonite mountain village, and ate lunch at Casselman Hotel, a historic roadside inn. The lunch of honey-dipped fried chicken, baked beans, applesauce, and warm bread served with fresh apple butter was comfort food for us on this stormy day. We even bought some freshly baked ginger cookies for the road. We entered West Virginia, continuing to marvel at the bright fall colors, interspersed with beautiful farmland. At Clarksburg we stopped to buy some supplies and the weather had suddenly become warm and muggy, which reminded us of our trip through the south a year ago. After listening to several of the locals talking, we realized it even sounded like we were in the south again. Soon we found our way to North Bend State Park, which features a Rails to Trails bike path (a former train track bed, now converted to a hiking/biking trail) which we were eager to try out. The weather remained a warm 75, but the sky seemed foreboding. Nevertheless, we decided to try out the Rail Trail, and see if we could make it to the town of Cairo, several miles away. We had fun biking through an old railroad tunnel, and across several bridges, but then started to feel a few raindrops. We decided to keep riding, and see if we could make it to Cairo. Within a few minutes the skies completely opened up on us, and we started to question the wisdom of our plan. Finally, having never found Cairo, we turned around and, squinting through the deluge of rain, frantically splashed our way back down the now flooding bike trail. We started cracking up at how wet we were getting, and somehow could not suppress the thought of how mad mom was going to be at us when we got home! By the time we returned, we looked like wet rats, although the air temperature had remained warm enough, so that we never really got cold. However, it felt very good to get on some dry clothes, and relax in the van sipping warm mochas as the rain poured down outside.

War & Peace: Greenbrier SP, Boonsboro, MD 10/8/09

Today was a very eclectic day that ran the gamut from idyllic bucolic country life to the ravages of war. Knowing that we had a lot to do, we made a concerted effort to leave our campsite early. Before we even hit the main highway, about a mile from where we were camped is the Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. We really didn’t know what it was all about, but it was a gorgeous day and we were inclined to take advantage of the good weather so we thought - what the heck let’s check it out. Good choice! Once again we had the park to ourselves along with a very attentive ranger eager to share information on the iron making operation. Hopewell Furnace is a very well restored and recreated 1771 village demonstrating the iron making process, including the blast furnace complete with a working 72 foot high water wheel creating compressed air for the furnace. Ned particularly enjoyed seeing how the iron molds were created from sand. We could have spent the better part of the day here, but I was anxious to explore Lancaster County and the Amish Culture. We hung out for a bit in Intercourse, browsing some of the woodworking and quilt shops. It really is quite interesting to hear the Pennsylvania Dutch language, see the horse and buggies, women dressed in Amish garb, and fields being plowed by horse. (See today’s pic). I was also enthralled by all the Amish laundry hanging on the clothes lines. Quite a spectacle! We also visited the Intercourse Pretzel Factory, but unfortunately had missed the tour by 20 minutes or so. Nonetheless, we managed to stock up on hard pretzels and chocolate covered pretzels for munching on the road. We were hoping to have a late lunch sampling the local fare in Lancaster at the Central Market, one of the oldest operating farmer’s markets in the country. Unfortunately, it’s not opened on Thursdays – Doh! We managed to find lunch at another local central market in a neighboring town, but were quite unimpressed with this particular Amish food. Ned’s chicken pot pie was a misnomer and really starchy dumplings in broth and my sausage & peppers wrapped in a pretzel was indigestion inducing, at best. We tried to salvage the meal by topping it off with Shoo-fly pie, but that didn’t go well either. (We tossed it.) We continued to meander down backroads towards Maryland when we came upon Gettysburg National Historic Site. It was about 4ish and we knew we had a couple of hours to go til the campground, but once again thought we might as well see what Gettysburg had to offer. OH MY GOSH – one of the all time BEST EVER historic sites we’ve ever visited. One could easily spend days exploring everything this place has to offer. Unfortunately, we only were able to spend about 2 hours here before being kicked out. We saw an in-depth movie narrated by Morgan Freeman on the Gettysburg Battle during the Civil War and what led up to it; a multi-media cyclorama that enacted the entire battle incredibly made from a 377ft. circular painting that was completed in 1884 (totally restored in 2008); and the most comprehensive inter-active display and museum about the battle and the Civil War. It was truly an absolutely incredible, fantastic experience. Sitting here at the campsite, and thinking back on the day, it really does seem surreal - to experience the peacefulness of the Amish in the morning and end with the brutality of the Civil War. Interesting day, to say the least. P.S. Planning our day for tomorrow and reviewing maps & books, we just found out that on the way to our campground tonight we drove through Catoctin Mountain Park. We had no idea at the time that this is the location of Camp David!

Blowin’ into Pennsylvania: French Creek SP, Elverson, PA 10/7/09

As we drove out of the campsite this morning, we were surrounded by a whirlwind of leaves, which pretty much set the tone for the day. After a steady, drenching rain for most of the night, the sky this morning was crystal clear and the fall colors looked really vivid and crisp. We enjoyed driving through the Catskills and even though we had a rather long drive ahead of us to our destination in Pennsylvania, we decided to drive through the Delaware Water Gap, along the Hudson River. It was listed in several books as a great scenic byway, but maybe we’re jaded. After all the fall colors and beautiful back roads of New England and Canada it didn’t seem that spectacular. I did get a kick out the Poconos - hard to believe that this was once considered a honeymoon mecca! I had convinced Ned that we needed to visit one of the old honeymoon resorts imagining something really romantic. Mmm –Ned it said it felt more like a bad 50’s prison movie. We were definitely not feeling the love. I think we’ll stick with the Winniemobile. We left the fall colors behind us once we entered Pennsylvania. Lots of trees and forest, but for the most part mainly green. The winds, however, have picked up dramatically. We were blown about in the winniemobile and noticed a lot of downed branches. Our one big tourista stop of the day was the Daniel Boone Homestead. Yes, Mr. Kentucky Frontiersman was actually born in PA. We practically had the place to ourselves and after being cooped up in the car for awhile, were getting a little silly. (See today’s pic – Ned pretending to be Daniel Boone.) He “borrowed” the shovel from one of the sheds and was pretending it was his frontier rifle. Too funny. We’re camped at a very upscale State Park, quite close to the Amish Country. At this point we’ve showered in every possible concrete, stucco, fiberglass and plywood structure you can imagine. This campground is deluxe, including fully tiled individual large showers – that are free! I foresee a l-o-n-g, luxurious hot shower in my future.

Living the Dream: Catskill Mts, Woodstock, New York 10/6/09

We woke up to sunny but cool weather in the Adirondack Mountains. You can definitely tell that we’re not in New England anymore, because everybody seems to have a New York “wise guy” accent here. It was great to be heading south toward some hopefully warmer weather. On our way we saw some more fantastic fall colors. (It really helps when the sun shines on them.) We stopped along our way to visit Saratoga Springs, which I love because it’s referenced in my favorite Edith Wharton novel, The Buccaneers. I especially wanted to see the famous mineral baths. Saratoga Spa State Park was absolutely gorgeous and all the hundred-year-old buildings were still in use and nicely maintained. Our next destination was Woodstock, which we had hoped to reach via the scenic route 9W along the Hudson River. Somehow at Albany, we got onto the east side of the river and took the “scenic route” down 9J. What seemed like an eternity later, we were able to cross back over the Hudson. This however did afford us the unusual opportunity of crossing the Rip Van Winkle Bridge (in the free direction, no less!) We wandered along the scenic route for a bit and then finally entered the Catskills. When we reached the town of Woodstock, yes THAT Woodstock, the temperature was the warmest we’d felt in a week. We took advantage of the great weather and had a late lunch al fresco. It was great fun watching all the people “living the dream”, in full tie-dye and rainbow regalia. Ned’s favorite was our “host” at the restaurant with his gray-haired ponytail, bright colored boxer shorts, mismatched socks and weird little Asian shoes. After lunch we strolled through the town, browsing the old Hippie memorabilia. (See today’s pic) As we rolled into the Kenneth L. Wilson Campground in the Catskill Mountains, in our VW camper van, complete with tie-dyed license plate frames, we realized that, in fact, we ARE living the dream, baby. Never did find any Jewish comedians. I guess I’m just stuck with my husband’s off-the-wall sense of humor.

Chocolate Highs and Chasm Depths: Chestertown, Adirondack Mts, New York 10/5/09

We enjoyed driving over Snuggler’s Notch so much yesterday, that we decided to take the long way into Burlington and drive over the pass again today. We were not disappointed the colors were spectacular. We enjoyed taking the long round about way into Burlington to our final destination of Lake Champlain Chocolates. We showed up for the 1:00 tour and I was not disappointed! We got a LOT of samples (white, milk, 54%, 70% and a truffle). Of course, we had to taste the ice cream too. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing them make different chocolate items such as the cherry cordials, chocolate Santas, & chocolate honey-carmel drops – all done by hand. What I enjoyed even more was Ned correcting (under his breath) our tour guide as she described the chocolate process. (Silly girl didn’t know that putting untempered chocolate in the fridge causes FAT bloom not sugar bloom or her description of the process to make chocolate liquor was actually the description of how cocoa powder is made…) Soon after, we bid farewell to Vermont, and caught a mid-afternoon ferry across Lake Champlain to Upper State New York. Our big surprise of the day was the Ausable Chasm. We had just started on Route 9 and came upon a massive stone bridge that reminded us of the Carriage Roads in Acadia. As we crossed, we were amazed at the HUGE falls and large chasm below. We parked, walked mid span across the bridge and spent some time viewing the monstrous cavern filled with gushing water. It’s a 150 foot drop to the depths of the chasm. I was a little more timid (understatement) than Ned at looking over the edge, but wow what a sight! Today’s pic doesn’t do it justice. It’s shot looking out from the bridge, rather than straight down. We proceeded on Route 9 thru the Adirondack Mts saddened by all the run down and abandoned motor lodges and resorts. Talk about a bygone era. Most of the campgrounds are closed for the season, but we found a small RV park that has all the amenities – electricity, internet, laundry, etc. – thus my many posts on facebook tonight! Tomorrow we head to the Catskill Mountains in search of Jewish comedians.

A Taste of Vermont: Smuggler’s Notch SP, VT 10/4/09

(This is Ned, filling in for Debi.) Hurray! We woke to blue skies. As soon as we cleared the mountain-top fog on our way out of the campground, we were treated to some more amazing autumn colors. Our first destination was Waterbury, home of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream. We located Ben & Jerry’s quickly, but felt slightly alarmed when we attempted to enter the driveway and saw that we were behind three very long fifth wheel trailers from Texas. This trend continued as we found our way to the factory and became aware of the nearly frenzied state of many of the other visitors. Nevertheless, we managed to get our photo taken. (See today’s pic) Once inside, we learned that a $3 fee was required for the tour of the production facility, even though nothing was running, since it was a Sunday. Debi and I decided to forgo the tour, but she still wanted to know where we got to sample the ice cream. Never one to be deterred by the rules, Debi quickly escorted me down the hallway where all the tours groups were finishing their tours. Voila, she had found the sampling room, and as soon as the next tour group entered from their factory tour, we were all offered a tray filled with paper cups of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream. Debi and I quickly helped ourselves, and then nonchalantly wandered back out of the room. Debi turned to me, thoroughly enjoying her ill-gotten sample, and said “Stick with me babe!” We ended up purchasing some Envision Whirled Peace cones, and touring the Flavor Graveyard, which was pretty funny. Our next stop was Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Visitors Center, which shows a beautifully produced video introduction regarding their global philosophy, but alas, does not offer a plant tour. We did, however, buy a pound of coffee from them and enjoyed a delicious hot Mocha. Our next stop included a one-stop tasting of Cabot Cheese, a local winery, and Lake Champlain Chocolates. From there we drove through the very upscale ski community of Stowe, very near where we located our campsite for the night at Smuggler’s Notch State Park. Once we knew we had a place to stay for the night, we headed out on an adventure to see if we could locate the cabin on Lake Salem (in the northeast corner of the state) where Debi has very fond memories of spending three summers with her family between the ages of 6 and 9. On our way, we drove through the pass at Smuggler’s Notch, which is absolutely phenomenal, particularly when bathed in fall colors. (Thank you James for this great tip!) We then headed in a northeasterly direction across some of the most beautiful rolling hills and mountains filled with autumn colors that we have seen so far. This was further dramatized by the fact that our course toward Lake Salem headed us directly into the eye of an approaching storm, so our windshield was thoroughly pelted with rain at times, while the color display remained as beautiful as ever. When we finally arrived at the little town of Derby, and were approaching Lake Salem, Debi was feeling very excited to see if any vestige of her great childhood memories remained. But after only a moment of hesitation, she announced “I think that’s the place!” Sure enough, the little cabin remained almost exactly as she remembered it, including the back sleeping porch, and little dock on the lake where she fondly remembers being taught how to row the boat and fish by her grandfather (Big Papa). She stood down near the water and was savoring sweet memories of her summers spent there. At almost that exact moment a huge thunder clap rumbled nearby, and we both agreed that Big Papa was still there. Just down the road we stopped to eat at a local restaurant, where the owners have a herd of Elk fenced. As we got out of our van to look at the elk, the sky opened up with huge drops of rain, which created the most beautiful and intense double rainbow above the herd of elk that either of us has ever seen. We both agreed that Big Papa was really trying to make the point that he was very glad that Debi had returned to this magical place from her childhood