Our next stop was the Elks Lodge in Alexandria, VA, just a few miles from the homes of two sets of friends who were on our agenda. Saturday afternoon and evening, we spent with Duncan and Natasha Crundwell, who have a lovely condo just a few blocks from Old Town Alexandria. The next day we visited Phill and Sharon Jourdan. He is a long time friend of Dick’s and the judge who married us. After treating us to a great lunch, we headed downtown with their son David to tour the National Building Museum and the Museum of American Art and Portrait Gallery. Both buildings were just beautiful, and I especially enjoyed the Kathryn Hepburn exhibit. We went through the gallery of the official presidential portraits – a gentleman at the front desk had told us that President Clinton’s portrait had been removed and replaced with a photograph. He didn’t know exactly why or when it would be replaced. When we went through we were surprised to see a photograph that looked like something taken in those photo machines at amusement parks. I would love to know the story behind that.

We moved up to Cherry Hill Park in College Park, MD to await the arrival of my sister and her husband. They successfully navigated the Metro system and arrived at a station 3 miles from our park – what a great invention the Metro is – we folks from Detroit and southern California aren’t used to such a common sense way to travel in big cities. For the next 5 days we were sight seeing at full speed, although we took plenty of coffee/treat, lunch, and afternoon beer stops. We spent the first day in the House and Senate galleries watching our legislative branch in action. We heard Barney Frank make an impassioned plea for job protection rights for homosexuals in the House, and watched a vote in the Senate. The votes are always fun since that is the only time that all the Senators make an appearance on the floor. Of course, none of the “presidentials” were in attendance. Security is much tighter than before 9/11 in that you can no longer just walk into the Capitol, but I was surprised that we still had open access to the office buildings of both branches and the little subway that takes the legislators to the Capitol. As before, we were impressed with how friendly and helpful everyone was. Later, we stopped in the Hawk and Dove Tavern for a drink – I always enjoy eavesdropping on the conversations, most of which involve something going on in politics or government.

We spent a day in Annapolis, a beautiful and historic town on Chesapeake Bay, and of course the home of the US Naval Academy. After a trolley tour, we had a great lunch at the Galway Irish Pub….its a beautiful place and serves amazing crab cakes. There is also a free tour of the State House – the oldest in America and the place that George Washington gave up his commission – that is worth taking. The Academy is impressive and in a beautiful setting. I was a little sad looking at all those high achieving hard working kids, wondering what might be in store for them in these unsettled times.

As it turns out, we were there for Veterans Day and the 25th anniversary of the Vietnam Wall. There were veterans everywhere and they had a stage set up in front of the wall where they spent 65 hours reading all the names. The weather was in the 40s and drizzly, but we agreed that somehow that was appropriate. The Korean monument is always moving as is the one for the civilian nurses, the “Donut Dollies”. I talked with one of them who was there for the ceremonies – the effects of that time were still very much with her.

The FDR monument is one of my favorites. It is huge and has a section for each of his terms. On the walls are inscribed quotes, my favorite being, “I have seen war. I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded. I have seen the dead in the mud. I have seen cities destroyed. I have seen children starving. I have seen the agony of mothers and wives. I hate war." That was actually said in 1936, which may explain his reticence about getting into WWII. The newest memorial is the one commemorating WWII. It is on the end of the mall pond between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. It is very impressive, similar in some ways to the one we had seen in Bastogne, Belgium and we were pleased to find Daddy’s name in the database.

On Saturday, we started with the American Indian Museum, the newest Smithsonian, built to honor the cultures of not only the American Indians, but those of all the Americas. We went on part of a tour with an amazing young woman from the Cherokee nation who was so very passionate about explaining and preserving her heritage. The museum is built to represent parts of nature, with lots of curves, walls, etc.

We had a scheduled time to get into the Holocaust Museum, so had to cut our tour short. But, of course, we made time for lunch there at the Indian Museum. In the cafeteria, they had a section for each of five different regions and the associated cuisines. You could pick dishes from any or all of them. The food was absolutely delicious, and so interesting. I am never a fan of cafeteria style dining, and this was no better, but the quality of the food made it well worth it.

The Holocaust Museum is one of those that you never “look forward” to seeing, but at the same time feel an obligation to see. They have a limited number of tickets available each day to the main exhibit, so I had reserved some online. Dick and I rarely spend more than two hours in any museum, but we got there at 1:30 and didn’t leave until almost 5:00. You are spared nothing in this exhibit – it starts of course with the events that allowed Hitler to come to power and ends with the Allies taking over the camps and the resettling of the victims. Almost half of the prisoners still alive the day the Allies came were dead within three weeks. There were so many opportunities to have stopped Hitler early, or to halt the Holocaust in the early stages, but the Allies just couldn’t believe it was really that bad, and ignored the reports. At one point the St. Louis, a ship full of Jewish refugees, was first denied entrance to Cuba, and then turned away from Florida as well. A third of those people later died in the camps. Outside the main exhibit is a children’s museum called Daniels House. Take the time to go through it as well. It is narrated from a young boy’s perspective and skips the graphic parts, but still effectively gets across the horror of the event.

On Sunday, we went to Arlington Cemetery, hoping to see the services at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, but alas, got there too late. We stopped at the Kennedy graves and the Women’s Memorial and Museum. Cheney went by in one of the cars we saw, but you couldn’t tell which one. I was able to contain my disappointment at missing him. In retrospect, I wish we had gone to the Vietnam Wall instead for the services there and to hear Colin Powell speak.

I absolutely love Washington, DC and as cynical as I can be about the follies of our government, it is hard to believe that when most of the folks get there, they don’t think they can make a difference.

Cape Cod is a wonderful place! We are parked at the Elk’s Lodge in Hyannis, MA. These little towns are upscale with quaint little downtown areas full of shops, restaurants and coffee shops. On the main highway, of course, is suburbia, but the good news is that I found a Trader Joes! First one since we got back. Bad news - they don’t sell wine in most of Mass. TJs. :-(

Before we left Boston, Tammy gave me an article from the Boston Globe about oysters, one of my culinary passions. The restaurant with the cheapest raw oysters in the state just happens to be the Oyster Company in Dennisport, just 10 miles down the road from Winnie. Every night from 4-7, the oysters are 95 cents a piece, compared to up to $2.25 in other places. So, the first night here, we high tailed it over there. It’s a great little place, and since then we have become regulars. To add to the fun, they had live jazz on Thursday nights and Sunday afternoons.

Hyannis is, of course, Kennedy country, so we went to see the museum and memorial, and did our best to get a view of the famous compound, where we found out later Teddy was recovering from his heart bypass. Another day we spent biking on a beautiful path that goes for miles through the center of the peninsula. On Sunday, we drove to the end of the peninsula, to Provincetown. It was a beautiful day and the crowds were out, but it was fun to walk up and down mainstreet with all its shops and restaurants. And we still made it back in time for oysters and jazz!!

Friends, Joe and Linda Chamrad in Mystic, CT. were next on our list. They were friends from Houston days, and we hadn't seen them in several years. Linda grew up in Mystic, and she and Joe have built a beautiful home right next to her mother's house. Since it was Halloween, Linda and I went trick or treating with their daughter, Julie, who was a much cuter witch than her older companions.

We left Mystic, CT, and not a minute too soon, since I am told that the next day the interstate was closed and the day after that Hurricane Noel came through – whew!! To avoid NYC at all costs, we went west through PA. What an absolutely beautiful drive – huge hills and valleys and colors were still quite pretty. We stayed at an Elks Lodge in Hazleton, PA. When we went in the lodge to check in, a friendly ol’ boy convinced us to have a drink. Meanwhile, the treasurer of the lodge, a very outgoing sort, came in and continued buying drinks – he called his wife, and she came to join as well. From the conversation, I sort of figured that we probably wouldn’t agree on many social issues, so stayed away from them. My suspicions were confirmed when the Treasurer’s wife told me that their mayor is the guy who recently got national publicity for announcing that he would revoke the business license of any company employing illegal workers, and fine any landlord renting to them. That explained some of the bumper stickers I saw as we drove through town. Nevertheless, they were very nice to us.

Our next stop was in Adirondack Mountains to visit yet another Houston friend, Christina Anderson and her mother, Freddie, who in her mid-80s still skis the most challenging runs in the mountains! Although they live in Schenectady, where they run a ski school, they have a beautiful house in the mountains near Lake Placid. The view from their balcony just can't be beat. Christina is a wonderful cook, and we enjoyed lovely evenings eating good food and drinking good wine made in the Finger Lakes, but sold in Lake Placid. The furnace is wood burning and Christina stays in amazing shape hauling wood and clearing land. She took Dick and me on a hike that, although doable, was challenging. But the views from the various stops on the way up the mountain made it worth it. A cold snap had arrived with us (something that would become a bit of a trend), and we had a chilly lunch at the top. It was a great hike and I was very proud of myself when it was over – one of those “hurts so good” deals. We went to The Wild Center, a natural history museum that gave a very effective overview of the Adirondacks – including otters, who put on quite a show. Well worth a visit if you are in the area. On the way home, we stopped at the winery to make sure that we liked the wine we had been drinking at home as well as we thought we did, and to stock up. It was a great, long overdue visit and we hated to leave.

My plan had been to go back through the southern part of Vermont, but we became convinced to go through the Berkshires in Massachusetts instead. I knew nothing about that area. We found another Passport park just north of Pittsfield and settled in for a few days. I was still marking scenic color routes on our atlas, so we hit the road, one day north into Vermont and the next day south to Stockbridge and Great Barrington. Another great area in which I could easily spend a month or more. That became my mantra the whole summer – I should be so lucky as to live as many summer months as I have places to visit!! In Stockbridge, I went to the Norman Rockwell museum – I grew up loving his often topical and insightful pictures. Great Barrington is remote, but is full of upscale restaurants and shops – I should have so much money as to spend a month in that place! When we were working, on vacation I would always try to figure out how I could earn a living in each of the new places we visited and loved. Now I try to figure out how I could live free or cheaply in them for a summer.

Boston was next on our list, and we were luck enough to be invited to park at Todd and Tammy Sells' (the family we visited at Moosehead Lake in northern Maine oh so many months and miles ago). They live in Bellingham, a suburb, and had room in their side yard for us – what a treat – great company and the price was right :-). Our first trip was to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Museum – beautiful site on the water and interesting, but we both agreed that it somehow was not as impressive as others we have seen – still definitely worth a visit. Todd and Tammy live near the last stop on the train into Boston, and since we had no intention of driving down there during the week, off we went. All went well except that I left my Tilley hat on the train – never to be retrieved :-(.

In retrospect, we probably should have taken one of the tours, but opted for a self-guided walking tour instead on the Freedom Trail. The highlight for me was the North End – boy, you couldn't feel anymore like you are in Italy, unless you are. Old Italian men are sitting out on the sidewalk solving the world's problems, and there are an endless number of very authentic restaurants. We picked a one with a menu from Napoli, and sure enough, there was the table of 6 or 7 men in the back of the room, eating spaghetti, drinking red wine, and speaking Italian – right out of a movie. What a great city!!!

On Sunday, we decided to drive up the north coast to Gloucester, stopping in Salem along the way – what a bonehead decision that was – the Salem part. We never stopped to think that it was the Sunday before Halloween! (Refer back to my comments on weekends and holidays). After fighting our way in traffic to the center of town, we were greeted with mobs of kids in costumes, and an offer to let us park the car for only $20! We just kept creeping along, straight out of town. We found a great pub for lunch and drove on up to Gloucester, a scenic town almost at the end of the peninsula

We are finally back in the USA! The crossing was fine – took about 30 seconds…..and after I had chopped up all my onions and hidden my 3 heads of garlic in a purse in the closet! I’m still smarting over the loss of all my herbs coming from Newfoundland.

The mail pick up in Houlton, ME was uneventful, but the opening of it was not. We had intended to have mail forwarded to us in Canada, but we kept hearing horror stories of people waiting 3 weeks for their mail, customs going through it, etc., and since we pay all our bills online, decided just to wait. Well, we pay all the bills online, except for the medical bills that had accumulated after checkups and Dick's two lithotripsies. Boy, were they mad and poor Dick, who has never paid a bill late in his life, was horrified. I was far less upset, and after calls to each office and collection firm, all is well and our credit rating is intact. I need to figure out how to handle that in Europe next year.

We saw some pretty color, maybe 50%, coming down I-95 to Bangor. The real color was straight west, but I didn’t see any great roads, and know that I am going to drag Dick and Winnie through enough scenic areas before it is over. We stayed in a great Passport America park – Pumpkin Patch RV Resort in Hermon, just outside of Bangor. Now we are on our way, via US2 to Bethel, ME, where I was told by a campground host there, the leaves are just starting to turn. The drive we are on now will be gorgeous in a couple of weeks. We plan to stay in the Bethel area for a few days, and take some day trips north where there is supposed to be real color – I certainly hope that we don’t spend the next month just missing all the spectacular stuff. I am making myself nuts calling foliage watch lines for every state, etc. After each weekly color report email, I faithfully pull out the atlas and my yellow highlighter and mark the recommended routes.

The Passport Park in Bethel, Maine, (Bethel Outdoor Adventure and Campground) was good and again on a river. What a great area. The color hadn't quite come to Bethel, but north of there was beautiful.
We rode our bikes into town and found what has started a rather dangerous habit – the best fresh lemon scone in the world. Even Dick, “chocolate guy”, had to admit that it was outstanding. Later in the day we rode again out to the little airport where guys were hang gliding with those little motorized carts we have seen in the desert. But, what we hadn’t seen was the guy whose motor he carried on his back and who had to run to get the kite off the ground! It took a couple of tries with lots of prep between, but once he got off the ground he went just as high and long as the other guys. Interesting.

We really liked the owners of this campground and might consider volunteering there one summer since free use of kayaks and canoes is part of the deal. Across the street is a great little English inn, restaurant, and pub called The Jolly Drayman.
We took the Jeep north looking for the illusive color, and found some beautiful scenery (and color). Grafton Notch State Park has some wonderful hiking opportunities, and views on Highway 17 up to Rangeley State Park are well worth seeing. We also crossed over into New Hampshire and the Balsams Grand Resort Hotel, a beautiful historic hotel in a stunning setting. A very nice casual lunch can be found in the golf clubhouse.

This area deserves much more time, but we are meeting up with Oz and Linda again in Vermont and need to move on. I was disappointed to miss Portland, but am trying really hard to slow down and not try to see everything.

We moved west to the Elks Lodge in Littleton, NH, where we joined Oz and Linda in driving the Kancamagus Highway, a very scenic route through the White Mountains. Note to self: Do not drive this highway on a Friday or weekend day in the fall. On the map, the eastern end where you turn north on 16A to come back on the northern part of the loop, looks very rural. Au Contraire!! It was a non-stop shopping and restaurant area, with bumper to bumper traffic – we spent nearly an hour getting through it. The White Mountains are beautiful and one could spend a long time there, but we had a real “tourist moment”. As a retiree, you learn to dread weekends and holidays – I realize that is selfish, since those nice people are paying into Social Security and need time off too, but still....

It didn't get any less crowded when we moved to Montpelier, VT, although we were the only RV in the Elks Lodge parking lot. The real action was taking place over in Stowe and Waterbury, the home of Ben and Jerry's. All four of us had done the tour in previous trips, but there was no talking Dick and Linda (the two dessert fanatics) out of standing in line to get a cone “where it all began”.
There is a lovely bike path through Stowe, and we spent a pleasant afternoon biking and stopping for a beer. There was another restaurant on Linda's hit list – The Kitchen Bistro in Richmond. We were lucky enough to get reservations due to a cancellation. What a treat!! After 3 ½ months of all seafood all the time, I had beef carpaccio for an appetizer and a tenderloin filet on gorgonzola polenta for the main. Yummy nummy!!!

Oz and Linda headed back to Detroit while Dick and I stayed on in Montpelier. We headed north on a scenic color drive to Newport where we were told about another bike trail. We rode until we reached a sign telling us that we were at the border of Quebec and that we had to go through customs......we turned around. More beautiful country with more spectacular color. The other thing I love about Vermont is that it is such a foodie place. There is a big push to eat local food and a movement called Localvore – lots of organic food and emphasis on quality. The cheddar cheese lived up to its reputation, and we went to great farmers markets in Montpelier and Stowe. There is also a culinary institute in Essex, near Burlington, and we ate at 2 restaurants run by the students – both very good. Burlington is a pretty town, but the whole area has way to much traffic for me. By this time, we were pretty spoiled by scenic small towns.

The Confederation Bridge back to New Brunswick is pretty cool – much faster and easier than the ferry. We drove straight to Moncton and camped just north of town. Our major interest in Moncton was the tidal bore, which unfortunately has been minimized by the causeway that is causing silt to build up. Instead of roaring in, the tide just trickled in – pretty underwhelming. The locals are pretty unhappy about it. We did see a bike path that would be fun to ride.

Our next stop was the Bay of Fundy and the infamous Hopewell Rocks, with its Flowerpot Rocks formations, where the tides rise at the rate of 6-8 feet per hour. We arrived at high tide and watched the water swirl around the amazing flowerpot rocks. The size of the trees growing out the top of these formations is surprising, since they appear to be solid and only rock. Later in the afternoon we went back during low tide, where we now could walk down the many stairs to the same beach and walk among the rocks.

We were staying in Fundy National Park at a beautiful campground, and after meeting up again with Linda and Oz, we took several lovely hikes. For those non-Rvers, the park also has a great motel, Fundy Highlands Inn and Chalets – great for a family of four including kitchenette, reasonable rates, and squeaky clean. On our way back to the park one afternoon, we went to Cape Enrage for sunset and happy hour. The temps were pretty cool, and the winds pretty high, but we soldiered on, saw a beautiful sunset and a good time was sort of had by most. (I was the happiest of the group ). It was great fun traveling with Linda and Oz and we have planned a reunion in Tuscany next year.

Dick and I headed to Fredericton, the capitol of New Brunswick and a really cool historic city. We stayed at Hartt Island RV Resort, once again, right on the river. It is really a pretty small city, and its easy to walk the downtown area. We went to the historical museum and were pleasantly surprised to see a significant area dedicated to the European war brides from WWII and celebrating their contribution to Canada after the war, often under pretty bleak circumstances. We found a very quirky coffee shop one day, and a very English pub the next.

On Saturday they had the best farmers market I had seen all summer. There are also great bike paths that we did not have time or weather to ride. The leaf peeping part of our journey had begun so we took rides north of town, looking for the color. On another trip, I would love to go up the Miramichi River Route and the northeastern tip.

Our next stop was not far, Woodstock and the St. John's River Valley. We stayed at a great Passport of America Park, Cosy Cabins, again on the banks of the river. We drove north on the River Valley Scenic Route to Grand Falls, where we were amazed at the beautiful Great Falls and surrounding area right in town. The water levels were very low, but they were still impressive. On the way up, we found the best coffee shop in Florenceville, just opened, called burnt.normal. He is an artist who also runs a pottery shop in the church nearby, and she is the baker and runs the shop. Definitely worth a stop.
Coming back, we saw spectacular color – the best I had ever seen. It is impossible to capture it on camera, even one that works :-). It was a great day. Thus ended the Canadian portion of the trip. It was a spectacular summer and we are looking forward to an amazing fall. Boy, I love this

lifestyle!!