Northeast Grand Adventure, Summer 2019

The pics included are from my (Sara's) phone only. More to be added but it has taken 6 months to post this, so thought I better get some posted!

Day 1 – We set out on our grand adventure with the truck loaded with kayaks and bikes and the travel trailer loaded with all of our gear. We had hoped to make it to a ½ way point on our way toward CT but at our first gas stop just over the VA line, we found that we had lost a grease cap to one of our wheels on the trailer. We couldn’t travel much further without risking damage to the wheel bearings. We pulled off at Emporia VA and tried to purchase replacement grease hubs from both Advanced Auto and O’Reilly’s only to find that after much trying, they just would not fit. We found out later, due to our wheel bearings being EX Lube, the grease hub we needed measured 2.44 inches and the ones sold at these auto parts stores measured 2.5 inches. We considered camping in a Walmart parking lot but the Lord provided otherwise because earlier in our adventures, I noticed a sign for a Jellystone Campground. We called and were told that we had to come to the main office to find out if there were any open sites. When we arrived we found we had 3 sites to choose from, all pull through and level, of which we chose one and set up with ease . . . our first “on the fly” camping adventure. The sites had full hookups which meant we could have AC which was a blessing on a hot and sticky night.

Day 2 We awoke with a fresh, well rested mind and reached out to Big Tex Trailer World in nearby Ashland, VA who said they had the grease cap we needed so we headed off to see them. Meanwhile, we had Duct-taped the ill-fitting grease hub to the wheel to protect the bearing until we arrived at Big Tex Trailer World. They were fantastic! Not only did they put the right part on our wheel, they inspected the bearings, greased the bearing, taught us what to look for with regard to the bearings and only charged us for the cost of 2 of the 3 replacement caps we purchased (we learned it was important to carry extra parts with us so opted to purchase 2 extra caps)! What a blessing they were. We had a long day of travel but made it to CT about bedtime and were greeted by Aunt Wendy and Uncle Mike with a yummy dinner and their Shelties Monty and Logan, who were initially hesitant about us but quickly warmed up to us. Hannah and Sam were missing our Cassie and Beebop so were only too pleased to lavish love on Monty and Logan. Sam especially won some doggy friends with his desire to play ball with them. Much to our surprise, the kids wanted to sleep in the camper so we set it up in the Wilke’s side yard and had a good nights sleep after a long day of travel.

Day 3 – We awoke to cooler temps than we had experienced recently in NC and all decided to head to Hammanassett Beach where we swam, walked on the beach and shelled. After our morning adventures, the boys headed out fishing and crabbing, arriving home with 3 keeper-crabs which made for a great addition to dinner that night that was full of fresh produce from the Uncle Mike’s garden and was capped off by oven-baked S’mores. There was rain in the afternoon but we had a good visit and after the kids went to bed, the adults watched a fun movie.

Day 4 – We awoke and had a leisurely morning, playing 5 Crowns card game and then when packing up, we realized our backup light wasn’t working so Brent and Mike worked to fix it. We had a late lunch and then hit the road. We decided to drive through RI so we could check that off our list of states traveled to/through. We had wanted to visit Newport to see the historic houses and shore but realized that pulling the travel trailer through the streets of town wasn’t the best idea on a congested summer day so we opted to drive through Providence instead. We wanted to stop half way on our drive to Maine and weren’t quite sure where to stop for the night. After calling some state parks and finding them full and then calling some private campgrounds and finding them expensive (80-90), Sara re-investigated Harvest Host and found that by signing up for a year’s membership ($67) that there was a brewery we could stay on premises in Portsmouth, NH. It turned out to be Cosco Brewery in Portsmouth, NH and was a lovely opportunity. We arrived about 8pm, set up in their very open parking lot with lovely green grounds all around us and had a very yummy dinner at their restaurant before retiring to the camper for a quiet night’s sleep. We look forward to trying more Harvest Host locations in the future!

Day 5 We made our way from Portsmouth to Schoodic Peninsula by way of L.L.Bean in Freeport, ME. When in L.L.Bean we ran into coworkers of Brent’s who were there on their way to Acadia (small world!). L.L.Bean was huge and the downtown was quaint. After some shopping for shoes for the kids and Brent we headed on to Acadia. We arrived at Schoodic Campground and found it to be a fantastic campground! The sites were huge and open, easy to pull through and setup. The bathrooms were clean and new. There were loop roads the kids could ride their bikes around. After dinner, we headed out for a sunset drive around the Loop Road of the Peninsula, stopping along the way to see the sunset and how the light played on the rocky coastline. We clambered a bit at the Point as the sun set then made our way back to the camp for the night. 

Day 6 - At Schoodic Peninsula again. This was a packed day. We had a leisurely morning and then headed out on our bikes to bike the Loop Road, The first 6 miles was on pavement and was fantastic. While there were climbs it went well. There was some grumbling from the kids but they made it. We stopped at the point to clamber again before heading the rest of the way around. We opted for the gravel path back to the campground which proved to be a challenge with steep inclines that needed to be walked up and a very hot sun. We did finally make it back for a total of a 9 miles bike ride. We had a late lunch and then headed out to find a local lake for kayaking. It proved to be a short trip but we then set out to find a lobster dinner from town. We stopped for some local ice cream on the way with flavors like blueberry and cranberry nut. We found our lobster dinner in town  - unfortunately when we got it back to the camp, it didn’t have claws :( but we still enjoyed it. 

We made our way to Blackwood Campground in Acadia. We had a great site again but very different. This campground was very much in the woods but the site was a pull through which was lovely. It had no hookups so we got to test out all of the systems. It did mean that we had to carry water to pour into our clean water tank but all systems worked well - we had lights from our battery, a cold fridge and hot water from our propane. It was buggy but bug spray worked to keep the mosquitos from swarming. We headed out to explore the park, we headed North and stopped at the Sieur de Monts visitor center for the lay of the land and the kids’ Passport stamp. We headed off around the one-way loop to explore and stopped by the Sand Beach. It was stunningly beautiful and the water was equally as cold but that didn’t prevent Brent and the kids from thoroughly enjoying the water. When they tired of the cold we swung by the campground for some food and headed off to find Echo Lake for some swimming. It was not sunny anymore when we arrived and the water, while warmer, wasn’t the draw that Sand Beach was so we didn’t spend a long time there. On the way back to camp, we stopped and purchased a lobster to cook from a place that was right on the water on the docks. We even stopped at Seal Harbor to gather some sea water. Returning to camp the sun had set but we cooked lobster at dusk and ate it by the light of our headlamps - it was still yummy! Everyone slept well that night.

Day 7 At Blackwood campground our morning was an adventure starting out early with Brent biking the previous day’s loop before anyone woke up. We then let ourselves have a leisurely morning but then underestimated how long it would take us to break camp. I was being leisurely and realized we needed to hurry up. When we got to the dump station for the first time, we connected the gray/black water and opened the valve, only to have the tube come away from the connector and explode with blue liquid from the chemicals from the toilet all over the pavement.  The tube disappeared down into the tank, leaving us with no tube!  Brent and I jumped a mile high to have the liquid avoid our feet. Thankfully we weren’t dealing with poop for this accident and we made sure to buy a proper tube on our way to the next site – thank you Walmart. 

Day 8 Blackwood campground again - We awoke with a plan for a full day’s adventure and it didn’t disappoint. We got ready early and made our way to Jordan Pond parking lot before 9am and made it by 830 to find a prime parking spot. We put our kayaks into the water for a fantastic paddle to the other end of the lake where we beached ourselves and let the kids each take some time to solo paddle in the lake before heading back to the pullout. After securing the kayaks on the truck, we headed to Jordan Pond house just as they were opening which was quite fortuitous because we didn’t have to wait long at all for a table on the lawn overlooking the water to enjoy some of the famed popovers and blueberry lemonade - both were delicious! We then got our bikes out, and caught the bus to Bubble Pond just two stops up so that we could bike around Eagle Lake. While there were some challenging sections the 6 miles were beautiful with many views of the lake along the way. We stopped halfway along to have lunch by the water. We then caught the bus to the Hull Visitor Center and were disappointed in the gift shop selection so made our way back to Jordan Pond which had a very large gift shop. After making our selections, we packed up the truck and drove through Bar Harbor which was bustling with people. After a quick car tour of Bar Harbor, we drove back by Sand Beach which now wasn’t as crowded b/c it was cloudy and cooler. While the kids didn’t get in all the way this time we enjoyed time along the shore, clambering and looking in tidal pools. We made some stops along the way back to the campground and enjoyed an earlier dinner of mexican and fell asleep to the sound of rain pattering on the roof of the camper. 

  

Day 9 We awoke to rain and broke camp much more efficiently than we had before. Before leaving camp, we walked the short path from the campground to the a cliff overlooking the sea - stunning! Our dump station stop was much easier and cleaner and efficient this second time around. We headed out of town for New Hampshire - driving through Bangor and stopping for lunch at Harvest Moon Deli. It was fantastic food that was very yummy! 

We arrived at Timberland Campground in New Hampshire to find a lovely campground with full hookups. We had a lovely back-in site backing up to the woods with a short walk to a river with plenty of rocks for Sam to throw into the river. After a little bit exploring the site, we headed off to a local state park in hopes of some swimming but arrived just after the park had closed at 6pm which was surprising given parks in NC close much later. We stopped at a local grocery store for supplies and headed home to make dinner and enjoyed a campfire with s’mores. 

Day 10 We awoke to cool temps - what a glorious find in July! This morning we spent leisurely around the campground getting some laundry done. About mid-morning we headed out to the Cog Railway - a cog train that travels up the side of Mt. Washington. The trip up takes an hour and the max pitch of the railway is 37%! Thankfully it was stunningly clear day with big glorious clouds in the sky. We then spent an hour at the top exploring the views and the weather museum that recounted the drastic conditions the summit has experienced. Today was chilly (in the 40-50s) but visibility was miles and miles.  Can’t complain – record high on the summit is only 72 degrees! The ride back down was quicker but just as beautiful. On the way back to camp, we stopped to look at a local waterfall that had a deep pool. It seemed a popular spot for cliff jumping which Brent and the kids quickly decided to try. They enjoyed a few jumps before deciding they were too cold to continue. After stopping for a few more supplies we headed back to camp for a yummy meal of yellow curry over rice made in the instant pot and skillet at our makeshift outside kitchen. What fun to cook outside and eat outside! 

We slept well this night under blankets b/c it was chilly (in the 50s) in July! Sara awoke at sometime in the night to hear that a local bear was making a visit to our camp, knocking over our cooler but moving on when it found it couldn’t get in it and didn’t find any food around our campsite - but some excited nonetheless. 

Day 11 We packed up from the Timberland Campground in good time and headed toward Vermont. It was striking to see the blue-green mountains of New Hampshire turn into the green rolling hills of Vermont. Vermont reminded us of SW VA or the foothills or North Carolina with rolling hills dotted with trees and farms. Although the bright red picturesque barns were certainly a Vermont feature. Our first stop in Vermont was the Ben and Jerry Factory where we were able to catch a tour not long after we arrived which ended with samples. A trip to the Ben and Jerry’s factory isn’t complete without a stop at their ice cream shop which we all enjoyed. We continued to Grand Isle State Park on the Champlain Islands of Vermont and what a treat that park was. It was a gorgeous setting with views of the lake and direct access to the lake for swimming, fishing and boating. Our site was in a shaded area that was close the bathhouse but not too close. There were no hookups but we had learned how to manage quite well with the gas and battery we had to run the water pump, water heater and frig so we had all of the comforts of home. After set up was finished we were pretty hungry so decided to head out to find pizza and settled on a McKee’s Pizza and Pub – boy was the food good and the service was friendly. We each enjoyed our choices very much with enough to provide a meal the next day as well. Brent and Sara enjoyed local brews as well. After a filling dinner, we hit a local market for essentials and headed back to the campsite for a fire and sometime playing around the campsite.

Day 12 Grand Isle State Park Site 027 Brent got up early and headed out on a bike ride along Route 2 to see some of the sites while the rest of us slept in until 630-7. After breakfast Hannah and Sara went swimming while Brent and Sam went fishing. Sam would say he went fishing more than catching but had a great time skipping rocks into the water – even working with Hannah to skip rocks into the lake. The water was clear, the views were expansive. The park itself reminded us of a quad at Carolina or Duke or Hyde Park, with sweeping grass knolls and large shade trees.

Kayaking was next while Sara took a final for a class she was taking this summer, Brent took the kids to kayak in Lake Champlain, giving each the opportunity to solo paddle some. We have realized it is time for them each to have their own kayak instead of the double we have been using to pair an adult with 2 kids. Sara quickly finished her test and was able to come and watch the paddlers in action. After loading the kayaks and having some lunch at the camper, we made sure the bikes were loaded and we headed into Burlington, VT to find the Island Trail that runs 14 miles one way but we picked it up at Colchester Point to ride the 3 mile causeway out into the middle of Lake Champlain. There is a 200 feet section that requires a ferry to allow boats to pass so we watched the beautiful sailboats travel the cut and then headed back. Sara was so proud of the kids to travel the causeway. Not only was it a single track piece of land but there were sections that had washed out making even narrower. Frustrating that few of the other oncoming bikers stopped to let the kids pass in the single file fashion which signage recommended.

We them treated ourselves with a trip into Burlington for a smoothie/juice before heading back to the camp for dinner and s’mores. We had extra supplies so invited neighboring campers to join us. Their kids had played with Hannah and Sam previously. Turns out they were a pastor, his wife who is pursuing her PhD in reading literacy and their 3 kids 12yo boy, 10yo girl and 6yo girl. They kids enjoyed playing with them and we enjoyed chatting with them. There were from Long Island and were headed back the same day we were headed to the Lake. We all slept well after a day full of activity.

Day 13 We awoke to cool temps and took our time packing up the camper while still sorting out what would need to be taken in to the cabin at Driftwood. After saying goodbye to the water and exchanging contact information with new found friends from NY, we left Grand Isle. It was a beautiful and wonderful campground and place. We took the ferry from Grand Isle to Plattsburgh and made our way down New York to Indian Lake. We thought about stopping at Ausable Chasm but it was too crowded so we skipped that in favor of getting to the lake. We stopped in North Creek for groceries and a yummy lunch at Izzy’s Deli and Market.

We were so fortunate that when we checked into Driftwood they had a spot in a parking lot for our camper to remain parked all week! After getting things set up we quickly got suits on and headed for the water. All except for Sara got into the water. Sara knew it would be a quick dip so was going to hold off until the next day. After dinner everyone headed out on the kayaks – the water had calmed down from the windiness of the day and we had a smooth paddle across the lake. What a refreshing lake, clear and clean with a rocky border and bottom.

Day 14 - Spent the day around camp swimming, the kids loved diving from the floating dock. It was quite windy so Brent took them both on the Sunfish - each got to go out with Brent several times. Brent even let them take the helm a bit. We took a break for lunch and spent some quiet time in the cabin just listening to an audio book and relaxing. Then we headed back out to swim some more – or at least the kids did and then sail some more. We had a fire and dinner by the fire, s’mores and then went to the water again to view the sunset and the kids weren’t able to resist its call b/c they were again diving from the floating dock. It was beautiful to see them working together and playing together. They even did the dishes together without complaint! Miracles do happen.

Day 15 Today we got up and ready and headed out for an adventure. Brent’s cousin Andy and his family (Sammy, Rayray and Max), Aunt Mary and Uncle Ron were in town for Andy to compete in the Lake Placid IronMan on the previous Saturday and we had plans to meet up on Monday. Turns out a back injury prevented Andy from finishing but quite impressed that he did the swim and bike even with the bike problems. We made our way the 1.5 hrs to Lake Placid where we played with the kids and enjoyed a bountiful lunch. Rayray and Sam really hit it off – Sam loved being the oldest for a while and Rayray loved having an older cousin with which to play. We then suited up and headed to swim in Lake Placid. Having been spoiled by the lesser populated Indian Lake, we found the beach at Lake Placid crowded so we didn’t stay too long. We all enjoyed some ice cream and walking around town for a bit. After some more time hanging out, we headed home and wished everyone safe journeys home.

Day 16 We enjoyed more sailing and time in the water today, exploring the lake around where we were staying by kayak. This was a day where we also went into town to Pine’s Country Store for some souvenir shopping as well – we are sad the Lake Store had closed but were grateful that Pine’s had just about anything you could imagine.

Day 17 We awoke to cloudy skies with a forecast later in the day of scattered showers and decided it would be a great time to paddle over and climb Baldy (a tradition for the Hubbells visiting Indian Lake). Sara paddled solo, Brent and Hannah shared the double and Sam paddled a single for park of the trip and then was towed the rest of the way. While the hike up proved a challenge for some, we all made it and reveled in the grand views of the lake and surrounding peaks. The trip down was certainly quicker and we paddled back with Hannah paddling solo for some of the time and then being towed by Brent and Sam in the double. After a quick lunch, we decided to beat the rain and head to Blue Mountain for a visit at the Adirondack Museum. The weather held beautifully and we really enjoyed our time at the museum, looking at old boats, learning about life in the Adirondacks over the ages and experiencing what it would have been like to be a child during years gone by. Having stayed out late, we decided to stop in town for dinner and enjoyed a yummy pizza dinner at a local restaurant. In fact, our waitress was the cashier Pine’s the day before. She talked to us about how hard it was to make a living in Indian Lake and afford housing given the high tax rates and price of real estate. This coupled with so many properties for sale (the Lake Store, the Marina, waterfront properties of an assorted variety) has led us to ponder what changes are in store the next time we visit. We capped off the evening with a visit to the Stewart’s Ice Cream counter. Everyone slept well that night.

Day 18 Today we rented a boat from Indian Lake Marina (which is also for sale), a 25hp. We loaded up the family with food and swim suits and headed off down the lake. Our first stop was the old Lake House to look at what the cove swim had been for so many generations and reminence about the rocks. We didn’t linger too long, though and then headed down water to Beaver Meadow Falls where we landed to explore the falls. Sam and Hannah also busied themselves stacking their own cairns to leave on the rocky shore – even helping each other with their efforts. We loaded back into the boat and headed farther downwater than we had been in years, if ever. Our next stop was Sand Beach, which we found early enough to be the only ones.  We passed Timberlock and their shore full of toys and then within sight of the State Campground boat dock. On our way back up water, we took a right before Timberlock and discovered that some land we thought might be an island was – this led us to the long canal to the Jessup River where we found peaceful, clear water that stretched for a long ways. When we had explored for quite a while we turned around and headed up water. At Campsite 32, that was empty, we beached the boat and explored to see what an island campsite looked like. We found quite a lovely space, this particular site would mean having the entire island to yourselves with lots of great camping sites, picnic tables and a stocked outhouse. The real treat came in the form of an abundant blueberry harvest. We gorged ourselves on the native berries and filled a sandwich baggy with our treasure to take home with us for an extended treat.

Day 19 We had an early morning and awoke to cool temps again of 52 degrees! The lake was warmer than the air and was as flat as we had seen it. We paired up on paddleboards to paddle across the lake and enjoy our last bits of time with Indian Lake. When we made it back to shore, Brent, Hannah and Sam went for one last swim. Sara enjoyed the warm rocks on the shore, watching the rest get drenched in the lake. We then walked up the hill to our cabin and pack up. We were headed out around 11am onto wherever we would stay for the night on our way to VA. We decided to try another Harvest Host location and chose a Dairy Farm in Shippensburg, PA (Wadel’s Dairy). They were very gracious and welcomed us to stay. They parked us alongside the hay/milking barn b/c they had seen a forecast for evening storms. We knew right away we were on a farm, given the aromatics that greeted us. We met the entire family, the father, Lamar, the mother, Kathleen, 8yo son Brady, 2yo son Damon and 3 week old son Caleb. Theirs was a family farm that produced raw milk, cheeses, fruits/veggies, beef, and turkey. Brady absolutely loved showing the kids around (especially Sam) to his pigs, donkey, rabbits, etc. Sam even was able to sit on the donkey for a bit. When we first arrived, Lamar was talking about their newest baby and the struggles with what sounded like reflux to me. When he heard I was a NP, he told his wife and came to get me to talk with her about how to help. I appreciated the opportunity to talk with her about the baby (which confirmed what sounded like reflux) and provide her with reassurance and tips on how to help. I learned that the family were Mennonites and were multi-generation farmers. I also learned, that like we were experiencing in the Triangle, land was being bought and sold around them leaving them to wonder what their future held, if they wanted to sell or stay where they were. Their setting was amazingly beautiful with rolling hills for as far as the eye could see.

Day 20 We slept well that night and awoke before 6 to find the work already beginning on the farm with the cows being brought in for milking. We all had the opportunity to watch the cows being milked for the morning milking – what a treat. Not wanting to interrupt their daily routines, we packed up and headed to our final destination of the trip. We arrived in Luray, VA with some time before we could check into our campsite so we stopped at Luray Caverns where we were awed by our tour of the caves and caverns that were discovered in the 1800s. What a fascinating place and to think that we walk around on ground that could have hidden environs below us. The formations were breathtaking in places. There was even a pipe organ that was voiced using hundreds of hammers placed against the stalactites. What a treat. We checked into our final campground, Jellystone Luray, which was a true resort campground that included water slides, a stocked pond, mini golf, playgrounds and more. Even with all of the options, we decided to head to Shenandoah National Park to check out what we would do the next day. The mountains reminded us of the NC mountains we have known so well. We talked to a ranger who suggested several hikes, one of which we did before heading back to the campground – Bearfence – which led to some great views of the East. Looking forward to the next day’s adventures.

Day 21 We wanted to maximize our limited time in the area so we headed to Shenandoah first thing and after a stop at the Park sign, we set out on our first hike of the day – Stony Man. This is an iconic hike of Shenandoah and didn’t disappoint. There were stupendous views of the West and we were the first visitors of the day. After this hike, we found Hawksbill and the kids opted for the shorter/steeper option which they later lamented. This hike, too, led to some rocky scrambling and far reaching views of surrounding lands. We felt accomplished, yet hungry, so we found a picnic area at Big Meadows and enjoyed our PB&J lunch. We had head that this park was known for their blackberry ice cream so we headed to the lodge and chose their famous Blackberry Ice Cream Pie and a cookie skillet to share. My on my! It was humongous but delicious and we finished every bit of it – yum! Our final hike was to a water fall, which meant we hiked down before we hiked back up. The falls were beautiful – mossy, rocky and refreshing yet crowded. The kids did great! So proud of their perseverance and growing abilities to hike. What a treat it was to be able to finally make it to Shenandoah National Park. We headed back to the campground and while Sara enjoyed some quiet time, Brent and the kids headed off to check out the water slides and pool area. Sam even was able to join in a soccer game. After a quick dinner, Hannah and Sam built a viewing room on our bed in hopes of watching a YouTube episode of Rhett and Link but due to the poor reception, our plans were dashed, so instead, we headed out for a round of mini golf. What a beautiful evening with a brilliant sunset. While we all agreed we enjoyed our time at this campground, we also agreed it was a bit too crowded for us, so we will look for more state and national park campgrounds as we plan for our next trip.

Day 22 The kids were really ready to head home, so ready that they were both awake before 7am. We had a quick breakfast and loaded things up and hit the road home. We are ready to see Cassie and BeeBop – planning how to take at least Cassie on our next trip. What a blessing and privilege to be able to take this trip and enjoy some of God’s great Creation! We all agree we want more of this so are looking for ways to have more trips and explore more of what is around us close to home. Now home for new adventures in the form of new school years for the kids, new job for Sara and the new construction at the church for Brent.