US/Canada Travels for 25 May 2010

Out of Fairfield, Connecticut we follow route 91 north until route 84 then its northeast into Massachusetts. We follow this until route 495, which is a bit of a ring road around the Boston mega-tropolis to Plum Island. On Plum Island we have the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. Right now it's a birder's bible for everything heading north to the Arctic for breeding. With camera in hand did my best to waste time taking numerous pictures that National Geographic Magazine is ready to buy…….

From Plum Island we head north into the sate of New Hampshire, which if I am correct, has about one inch of coastline according to my Atlas. Rye Beach is the place to be as another relation (energizer bunny's dad) of 50 years past has a home there. Rye Beach is a place where if your property tax is not 50 thousand dollars a year or more something is wrong. I was treated to a Greek restaurant that had great food and a gentleman's fine taste of beer. The housing is so old that there is numbers on the front of the homes indicating the year they were built, i.e. 1755, 1718 or early 1800's. Of course we passed through Portsmouth and a grim reminder of the Naval Brig (prison) now closed but still a reminder of the penal system in the military.

Next day it's north to Acadia National Park passing Bowdoin College, a place and time of fond memories. We are still in Maine, just down the road from Bar Harbor. Arriving in Acadia we find business still closed for the winter. Numerous campsites within the National Park are still closed. The next day finds us looking at rain all day long. Did manage some photography but the Geocaching that I was hoping to research is not going to happen with the heavy rain in place. Its pretty bad when you find yourself at the library by mid-day reading used issues of newspapers and magazines. Just after midnight we find the bad weather is taping off. With the hope of clear sky's we head north east again but bad weather is with us through Maine, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Being on a motorcycle in this weather would have been a disaster and you can forget the tent, it would have been a Motel 6 with the big plasma screen TV and 4000 channels.

And did I mention that petrol, once crossing the Canadian border was back up to $4.00 and up per gallon……………….

Finally I find a loggers truck lay-by and for the rest of the night singing to the tune of the diesel truck engines. Morning and Mother Nature is finally putting the sun on the horizon. With a carrot cake muffin and Tim Horton's coffee life is beginning to be a bit better. Into Sydney, Nova Scotia catching the ferry to the south west corner of Newfoundland, Channel-Port-aux Basques. Again we find some of the National Parks and Provincial Parks closed until late May/June time frame.

But it is an open Provincial Park for the next 3 nights. First night in the temp drops to 32 degrees F (0 degrees C) and for the first time I am multilayered to the max and to the point of zipping up the sleeping bag. What's nice about the Canadian Parks are that they have hot showers, but the kind where you either lean on the button or keep pushing it every 10 seconds.

Next day is Geocaching; first off the block is the Rose Blanche Light House (GCJEYE) where I am entertained by a bevy of women running the concessions around the lighthouse. Harvey Trail (GC1673Y) at Isle aux Morts, English translation Isle of the Dead due to the number of ships wrecked in this area off shore between 1800-1900's. Next day finds us Geocaching with another 2 finds, GC1Q5PY and GC1TIIY
Again I find Geocaching provides substance and enjoyment as you travel. That afternoon the temps hit 18 degrees C and every bug imaginable was out and biting. How is it that you can go from 0 degrees to 18 in the span of 3 days; Mother Nature is getting an attitude!!

Next morning it's raining, cold and just miserable but a cuppa is just down the road and the skies up north are clearing. The CD is playing Italian Opera and my voice hits the high note with Puccini. As it is another Provisional Campsite for the night and only 2 hours away from Port aux Basques, it is side roads, not always with happy results (dead ends). Maybe I should just believe the maps and not my reasoning for a continuation of the road. But I do manage 300 miles and a $70.00 fuel bill for my troubles. The cost of fuel is going to impact the most in my travels for sure.

A side trip to Stephenville and the Port au Port Peninsula for the afternoon. Next its to the Barachois Provincial Park where the temps are at 0 degrees C for the night.

Enough of this travel……

Aloha

Norm

The Greynomad

US/Canada travels for 17 May 2010

Hanover, Pennsylvania and at 0143 hrs it is 35 degrees and bloody cold.
Day time temps for the last 2 days has not gotten over 45 degrees and I am running around in shorts.

While here went Geocaching and found 3 sites. Again if you are interested on the sites that I find, go to www.geocaching.com and when I post the various finds, type in the number on the web page. Voila, you have a bit of history vice putting up with my stream of palaver (for those unfamiliar with this term, think BS).

The YMCA here in Hanover is one of the best I've seen Everything you could think of under the roof plus (2) 25 meter pools. One is heated to 87 degrees and the other to 83 degrees. Just a bit toooooooo warm to swim lapse in but the price is right.

The Goatmobile (Honda Element) had a major recall for the soft brakes, some even having the brake pedal going to the floor. This was taken care of at the Honda dealer while in Hanover.

I must remind you that the family that I was staying with at Hanover still run a chicken plucking farm. After plucking the feathers, the wife would whack the chickens in a way that would confirmed them as kosher. If she missed, the mother-in-law, in her motorize wheel chair, would chase the suckers and nail them with a pellet gun. It must be the northern latitudes that bring out the dark side of people or maybe not enough vitamin D.

Leaving Hanover, Pennsylvania for New Jersey is always a pleasure especially right after the farmer has laid in a fresh supply of manure on their fields. The smell has that particular clearing affect on your bit muddled brain cells. Into New Jersey it is and if you have never experience the New Jersey Turnpike, this is the main route for all traffic going and coming out of New York, the traffic is mind boggling.

Well after a bit I find my cousin, whom I haven't seen in 50 years. The last time I saw her she was still in diapers at the tender age of 7 and a pain. Now she is in her twilight years and still a pain, minus the diapers of course. Took a trip to the Sandy Hook National Park, where the oldest lighthouse in the US is and still functioning. They have bike trails, static displays, housing from the 1930-40's, museums, just a great place to visit during the off-season. (Facebook)

Next day, me cousin, the energize bunny, has us on the train to the Big Apple also known as New York City. Just about one hour plus by rail, then a quick ride on the subway. Up we come and our intentions were to see an exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art but the bloody line was two hours or more just to get in. Does this slow me cousin down, not by a long short. Its St Patrick's Church, Rockefeller Center and finally Times Square all with in 20 minutes walking distant. I was humbugging this originally but I would not have missed it for the world. Times Square is the epitome of digital kaleidoscope on the big screen. What a fantastic digital show and can you image what it is like at night. Not to be missed but recommend that you park outside the city and catch the train in. (Facebook)

5-13-2010 Has me leaving New Jersey for my brothers place in Connecticut. Its toll roads all of the way but more better you pay then spend another 2-3 hours running the back roads to save a dollar. Its the Garden State Parkway going north then crossing over the Hudson River via the Tappanzee Bridge. Next we catch the Merritt Parkway to the fair city of Fairfield, Connecticut where the brother of sorts lives. His fourth wife, from previous experience with me, has constructed a moat around the house armed with more fire power then the US Army. Why do I feel that my stay here will be short lived.

Did go Geocaching while here in Fairfield at the local park. It seems that every weekend, anyone that owns a 4 legged mutt has their dog in this park. Needless to say I did have success regardless of Fido. My brother's children were here for Mother's Day and mom was in her element with food for a hundred, noise, and first grand-daughter, all of 9 months, being the center of attention.

New Hampshire is my next stop before heading up route 1 along the state of Marine coast.

Since the 22Th of April I've been visiting old friends and relatives along the way. I've had more laughs then could be measured, drank more good scotch/wine with story's that will never be repeated and the good fellowship has made this part of the trip most memorable.

Aloha and mahalo to all.

Norm
The Greynomad

Facebook Pictures Posted

Enjoy

US/Canada Travels for 9 May 2010

Virginia Beach it is for 2 days. How the government allows people to build right on the beach is just plain stupid. The beach has already lost over 100 feet of sand and being the beau-racy that we are, the Federal government has stepped in with monies from the Stimulus Program for a sand replenishment.
On to better things, the couple I was staying with just got back from Yemen and the wife got so enthused with the goat herders while there. She has now bought over a 100 goats which she heads up and down the beach. The goats live under the house at night, talk about noise and smell........and the last word I heard from the wife was camels?

Did manage to put kayaks in the water at the National Wild life Center, over cast day with a light on shore breeze and just a great day to be out there. Just about every house built along the beach front gets a minimum of $5000.00 and up per week during the summer months.

Leaving Virginia Beach we head west on route 58 to 85 then a short ride to route 1 and here we are in Wake Forest, North Carolina. Another couple from my military days back in the 1960's. Its the wife's dream house with 13 bedrooms and 25 bathrooms. You need a bloody GPS to find your way around. The husband has a set schedule where he over a period of a month uses every bathroom. If he can not get to all of the bathrooms in a months time he hires a van, picks up the homeless, they have a free shower, a meal and a long drop for free. What a fine fellow!!
He at one time was a stunt driver for the movie, Mad Max. Your insurance policy best be updated prior to riding with him. Methinks a cab driver in New York city would be his calling......

Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina is 20 miles west and should not be missed. Three years ago, the government spent millions cleaning up the city center. Just incredible job with the existing buildings. It is the place to be over the lunch hour for the viewing pleasure.

Wake Forest to the Great Smoky National Park via route 40. None of the camping sites in the National Park are open until Memorial Day, 27 May. So its to the town of Cherokee for the night. Talking to the locals, the roads are a nightmare traffic wise once school is out for the summer.

Over the Great Smoky Mountain it was into Tennessee then following the roads that bisect the Cherokee National Forest (Northeast). Spending the night at a National Forest campsite just south of the Virginia border (Damascus). There had to be a revival meeting in the next township as I was blessed all night long.......

The next day has us traveling up route 42 right in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains. Route 42 is beautiful and during the change of the tree colors in the fall has to be equal to the Blue Ridge Parkway if not better. Hoping to spend the night in Warm Springs, Virginia at another campsite. Come to find out what the map was telling me was a bit off the mark. Seeing that it was only another 150 miles to friends home in Hanover, Pennsylvania, whats another 3 hours when your day has been 9 hours behind the wheel. So Hanover it was for the night, the only downside was the nearby prison siren at 0300hrs having another breakout.

New Jersey, Connecticut, and getting to Newfoundland is the next go.

Norm
The Greynomad

US/Canada Travels for 5/1/10

4/22/10
Catching the Red-eye (2300hrs) flight out of Honolulu to Las Vegas is always an experience that just renews your faith in man kind......The flight is set up for all of the old gomers to fly out to Las Vegas for the weekend to gamble their welfare checks away and return to Honolulu with a smile. Me-thinks that 90% of them would never fit into a single seat thanks in kind to McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Mrs Fields Cookies and any other fast food outlet. One thing you never do is to volunteer to raise the seat arm rest to your 400 pound neighbor because they are uncomfortable.............And by the way the movie for the flight was the "Chipmunks". One of these days I am going to catch the sucker who chooses these bloody movies.

Las Vegas is where I won the $13,000,000 jackpot.....this extra monies meant that I now can wash my clothes every 5 days vice 15. From Vegas it
was another red-eye flight to Philidelphia. From there it was a rental car for a 3 hour drive north to the Penal Farm. This is where the Goat mobile has been for the last 6 months under the care of Mildred, the hunchback hun.
Since I was staying for 4 days the list of what to do went from 2 to 20.
Shower's were down the hill into the creek at 30-40 degrees temperture. Bathroom facilities was a black bucket and a sponge.

Friday was upon us and it was south to Delaware and one of the state parks for the night. Tent was up and scotch was at hand. This morn finds us heading south across the Chesapeake Bridge and tunnel, incredible bit of engineering. Virginia Beach it is for the next two days

Aloha,
The Greynomad