2012 Big Truck Across the Northeast, Day 10

Day 10 started with us getting a fairly early start, bypassing the beach and any playgrounds in order to ride the tram up Cannon Mtn, right behind our campsite.  Here's the view from the base, with at least one excited participant eagerly waiting.

Before I get to the tram, I have to describe what we saw in the parking lot.  I'm always trolling parking lots looking for something interesting to park beside.  This morning we were rewarded.  Someone had obviously put a lot of time, effort, and fabrication into this Baja Bug, and I couldn't stop pacing around it.  I especially enjoyed the sticker on the front of the hood - "Yours can go fast, mine can go anywhere."

Once we got on the tram, it was smooth sailing. We had the 80 person car all to ourselves, except for Jack and one other park employee.  They were very informative, and not in a recorded message kind of way.  They pointed out areas where we could see all the way to Canada, New York, and New Hampshire.  You can tell from Kimberly's expression that she was really enjoying the ride up.

What we didn't realize before today was that we were in Bode Miller’s hometown.  More on him later, but he is a multiple Olympic medal winner for USA, and still lives in the area.  Our guy Jack mentioned that he had just seen him in town yesterday, and that he keeps a pretty low profile but is a very down to earth local in these parts.

The guys also told us about a lot of 'firsts' that this particular part of Vermont is responsible for in the world of skiing.  Something about first high speed lift, first gondola, etc.  I asked if I am still allowed here, since I am a snowboarder, and they acknowledged that although they are skiing purists, they welcome all kinds at this mountain.

That felt good, because all I can picture when I think of skiing purists are these guys, and I just can't see Kimberly and I rocking this ensemble.

When the tram reached the top, we had a short hike left to the observation tower for a full 360 degree view from the mountaintop.  It provided incredible views, especially looking down at the valley and seeing how Franconia Notch got it's name.  Here are a few sample shots, pics do it no justice.

On the deck of the observation tower, there is this compass that shows you in all directions which peaks and ranges you can see.  To the north, there is a pass through the mountains that looks like someone used and ice cream scoop to remove a section of the range (credit Ranger Jack for that description).  It was pretty amazing that we could pick out nearly every peak on the map, we really lucked out on the weather.

On the way down, we saw a little Snoopy/Red Baron style plane towing up a glider. He just happened to release the glider right above us, and of course we grabbed a pic.

On the way down, Jack told us about the local ski museum at the base of the lift.  As I mentioned, we're not big skiers, but wanted to support the locals, and he said Bode Miller had been allowing the museum to showcase his medals.  Well, we lucked out, because the nicest woman in the Northeast happened to be opening up the museum, and asked if we'd like to see the medals up close.

I'm not sure about any of you, but I've never envisioned a scenario where I would be holding an Olympic gold medal in my hand for any reason. I can tell you they are heavy, biting one only hurts your teeth, and they are specifically engraved with the full description of the event. We both thought it was pretty cool, and I can't thank the woman (didn't catch her name) enough.

For the next few hours, we drove through western New Hampshire and into Vermont.  My friend Aaron had said 2 things about Vermont - don't speed, and Vermont feels very - Vermont. He was right on both counts.  Police everywhere, and things just feel different.  The best word I can think of to describe it is proper.

People here take care of their possesions - lawns and landscaping are meticulously manicured, houses are well maintained, everything just looks, well, proper.  Add to that fact that every vehicle you see is a Subaru, a Volvo wagon/SUV, or a Saab - to way more of an extreme than the rest of the Northeast.  Also the area we are in appears to be mostly farmland.  This pic is off Google image, but it sums up what we've seen better than anything I have.

Despite all the proper-ness, this story was on the radio every few minutes.  Seems like everywhere you go, someone has a local that is running over multiple police cars with someone else's tractor.

Our home for the next 2 nights is Button Bay State Park, just under an hour south of Burlington and right on Lake Champlain.  We were surprised at how remote the park felt, and the setting of the multiple tiers of mountains in the distance across the lake was like a postcard.  Here's our campground.

No explanation necessary here.

We did find out that one part cooped-up kid + one part generic molded plastic playground toy = human science experiment. She didn't seem to mind.



After a quick setup of the Big Truck (we've gotten this somewhat down to a science - I can have the Jeep unhooked in about 4 minutes, during which time Kimberly can have the Big Truck in full camping mode), we were off to Burlington to see what we could see.  On the agenda - a brief stop at Magic Hat Brewery, followed by dinner at American Flatbread, also home to Zero Gravity Brewing Co.

If there are any diehard Magic Hat fans reading this, skip to the next section.  I have nothing against them, but this visit confirmed what I had suspected after viewing their website.  Their beers are OK, but they struck me as the Harley Davidson of microbrewers, selling an image, apparel, and a marketing plan more than the actual product.  Their tasting room was more of the same.  I bought an empty 'genie' growler as a souvenir, and it was a bit awkward explaining to the guy at the checkout that even though I could fill it up for $2, I preferred not to.  Cool place, just not for me.

Zero Gravity, on the other hand, seemed to take the opposite approach.  It's hard to find much about them, and their location is very understated (see below, that's where we ate), but their beer was excellent.  It helps that they brew an excellent Belgian Tripel, my personal favorite.

One thing that was not my personal favorite (or Kimberly's) - our server.  She seemed very uncomfortable dealing with people, which seems like a poor fit for her chosen vocation.  Add to that that she was a dead ringer for a female Cousin Dale from Vacation (see below), and it made for a challenging evening.  (You may recognize the actor from his subsequent work on Silver Spoons, teaching us all a very valuable lesson about the perils of bullying 'the Ricker').

We were only a couple of blocks from the lake in downtown Burlington, so we figured we'd take a stroll to the waterfront and check out the city.  It had a very cool vibe to it, almost like a college town, except without the puke and 4 for $5 neon 40oz ads. Tons of people walking around, a cool boardwalk and bike path, and lots of green space right down by the water.  Our exhausted daughter grabbed a couple of photo ops right before she alternated between boneless ragdoll and Tasmanian Devil.

Tomorrow looks to be a more relaxed family day, with hopefully a visit to the Shelburne Museum (Thanks Laurie & Rick for the recommendation!) and a few other Vermont-y things.  More to follow.



2012 Big Truck Across the Northeast, Day 9

Day 9 felt a bit different, mostly because this was the longest we have stayed in one place out of all of our trips.  3 nights in the same campsite - those are some serious roots for us.  If you combine it with the 2 days at Camden State Park, we've now spent 5 days in the same state.  Maine has been incredible, so we're a little sad to be leaving, but New Hampshire and Vermont should be pretty interesting in their own right. 

Much of today was spent in the Big Truck, so I'll get to that in a minute.  First, the guy that has the job that I want.  Imagine mowing this lawn, given the backdrop.  Can't imagine there is a whole lot of stress.  Sure, once in a while he hits a Marmaduke-sized pile of crap, or runs out of gas, but all he'd have to do is look around, and all is well.

We took care of business at Bar Harbor Campground, packed up, and had a lady reserve our site while we were still on it.  Getting an Ocean View site is like Black Friday at Walmart, nothing is too cutthroat and people are not shy.

From there we got on the road & headed up through Bangor, with a quick stop for lunch. There is comedy, then there is listening to 2 people tiptoe around the pronunciation of Bangor, going to great lengths to either not say it, or over-enunciating like this.

 The rest of our drive through western Maine felt like we had gone back in time.  Kimberly commented on the seemingly endless supply of trees, as we followed US2 (a 2 laner, like a cross between M22 and M119 in Michigan, with the altitude multiplier set to 100x) along a multitude of rivers, across dams, and through old school bridges like these.

These are not for the faint of heart, as we met one dump truck and one logging truck in the oncoming lane of each bridge.  I think those drivers view it as a game, because they barely slowed down and were definitely reveling in the fact that they could visibly see my blood pressure spike over 400 as they passed.

Next we stopped for gas, even though we were at half-tank, since gas stations were becoming few and far between.  The area along our drive was filled with spectacular natural scenery, but the communities we passed through looked very rugged, lots of vacant properties, rotting vehicles, and rundown homes. Some of our mobile research confirmed that the paper/lumber industries were struggling, so jobs were leaving the area rather quickly.

While filling up the Big Truck, I took special note of this helpful request.

 

Is there any other possible way to prepay? This seems like the basis for about a 20 minute Seinfeld routine.

As we entered New Hampshire & the White Mountains, we discovered the true nemesis of our cross country rig of choice – high winds.  One of the guys I used to ride with had his BMW K1200RS blown right off the centerstand at a lookout on the way up Mt Washington, so I was aware of the potential.  This is about how it felt inside our rig.

When we arrived at our exit (Franconia Notch State Park), we could see that our campsite at the base of Cannon Mountain ski area was going to be pretty picturesque.  This is from the offramp, unfortunately the lift was just closing as we were pulling in.  Maybe tomorrow…

Our accommodations are a bit different here than our previous stops.  This one involves 7 sites along the back of the parking lot, with a ski area maintenance shed & snowmaking equipment directly behind us over the berm.  Doesn’t sound that great, but here are some views. We’re not complaining.

This is Echo Lake, directly behind the campground.  Jordan immediately sniffed out the beach, and plans an early morning invasion with her sand toys, and her ducks.

And the view from the site…

Plus you know you are in the middle of nowhere when the campsite info comes with the dreaded 'how to handle a bear attack' pamphlet.  I'm sure once I see a giant black bear I'll just peruse this handy card and live to fight another day.

Our neighbors include a French-Canadian one-upper (he has seen or done anything and everything anyone else here has, but just a little better or sooner than all of us – kinda like the hipster who knew ____ before it was ____ ), a super loud dude that looks and sounds like Borat, only if Borat had 2 screaming toddlers that played in (yes, in) the campfire until 10pm, and a couple of recluses like us (thank you).

They do, however, help to reinforce the stereotype we have started to build.  People in the northeast (alert – sweeping generalization in progress) eat very healthy, drive one of the following – a Subaru, Volvo wagon, or an even older Subaru, are generally polite and inviting (and extroverted), and sound like any character from these Dish Network commercials.

As light was fading, I made a quick run into town.  As we discovered earlier in the day, we are actually camping about 2 minutes from the Appalachian Trial. 

I stopped to grab this picture, careful not to give off the scent of a grilled cheese or Pachouli oil, for fear that this guy would leave his drum circle and devil sticks to come after me.

All told, this place is about the most quiet and peaceful we’ve ever stayed in.  Full moon, clear sky, bright stars (no blue diamonds), and fresh mountain air.  A bit different than the ocean spray of Acadia, but impressive in its own right.  Here is the signoff pic, taken just over an hour ago right out the back of our site.

Tomorrow we may ride the ski lift up the mountain to see the Notch from above, as well as check out the Flume gorge down the road.  Then it’s off to Vermont, just south of Burlington for a few days, camping on Lake Champlain. Stay tuned.

2012 Big Truck Across the Northeast, Day 8

Day 8 - Rain.  For the first time of the whole trip, we dealt with some less than ideal weather.  The front moved in around 1am, and by dawn it was a light but steady rain.  It made for some crazy scenery, as we finally got to experience the 'Sea Smoke' that this label told me about a few nights ago.


Here is Jordan leading the charge to find the Sea Smoke.

There was something that just felt right about the weather, like the fishsticks guy was going to show up at any minute,

or even this guy, out of work since terrible '90s horror/comedies.



After some very comtemplative moments, and of course some rocks to climb on, we decided on a course of action.

Our plan was to drive roughly an hour 'down east' as the locals say, and arrive at the Schoodic (skoo-dik) Peninsula portion of Acadia National Park. There is a Scenic Byway and Schoodic Point, which we had heard was worth the visit. Whoever we heard it from, they were right.

On the way we stopped in Winter Harbor for lunch, and got some tips from the locals.  We have tried to frequent local Maine businesses (I know I've helped the local microbreweries...) as much as possible, and this one was no different.  It's called the Harborgirl Cafe and Emporium, and if the title makes you think it is anything but a down home restaurant, it is misleading.  Here is the entire operation - it was impressive and refreshing to see a steady stream of customers, and the owner could not have been more personable with everyone. 



This visit also confirms a pattern we have been noticing.  Since we entered Maine, pretty much every female over the age of 40 has adopted either the Judi Dench (lost most of you) or Pat Summitt (the rest) hairstyle.  Once such woman was working the gas station counter this morning when she pressed the wrong key on the cash register.  Her response?  "Oh, phooey." I want to live somewhere where agitation progresses this slowly.

Next up was the Schoodic Scenic Byway, and the weather was just starting to clear up as we entered the park.  This was our greeting.

One thing was very clear as we worked our way through the park.  No crowds, no buses, and just a general sense of undisturbed natural beauty.  Not to get all cheesy, but this to me is what national parks are meant to be - preserving the natural habitat of landmarks so future generations can be awed by them in person.  Sorry, just fell off the soapbox.

Our plan was to head straight to Schoodic Point, but this got in the way.

The last pic shows a ridge made entirely out of stones/rocks that get pushed there by the rising tide.  We thought it was made entirely out of rocks, until we walked on it.  About 3 feet in front of you, there are these little black spiders on almost every other rock. As you get close, they dart quickly under the rocks. The further out on the ridge you walk, the larger the spiders and the more there are.  Here's a shot showing them just before they hide.

Like any normal girl, Jordan wanted to help the spiders and put a roof over them with other rocks.



Meanwhile, her parents were having flashbacks to this terrible '90s horror (did it really count as horror with Jeff Daniels?) flick.

That ridge did serve as a pretty good backdrop for some other photo ops, especially since the rain had stopped, and if it weren't for low tide, I would have taken this pic from about 8' deep in the ocean.

Finally, on to Schoodic Point.  We must have spent close to 2 hrs here, and probably could have spent all day.  It is incredible, and we were seeing it on a relatively calm day during low tide.  Hopefully this clip works, as you get a sense for the waves, Cadillac Mountain as the backdrop on the right, and the huge rock formations that get continually beaten down by the surf.  

I didn't realize it,but while I was filming this, Kimberly got this shot of me and some of the breaking waves.

We took a billion pictures here, and again Jordan could not get enough of playing, jumping, running, etc all over the rocks.  It finally took a cleverly planned game of hide and seek to progressively move her toward the Jeep and tire her out to get her out of there.  This place was absolutely awesome, I cannot imagine it during high tide & stormy weather.

Here's a few random shots, one interesting thing is the darker strips of basalt the break up the pink granite.  Here's a link to someone saying that in much nerdier terms.  On to the pics...

Sorry, don't know how that last pic got in there.  Actually, I know exactly how it got in there.  If you think I can pass up the chance to reference Thunder in Paradise, forget it.  Happy Googling....

On the way out of Schoodic Point, we remembered one of the locals back in Winter Harbor telling us about a road just west of town that led to huge cottages built by 'old Philadelphia money', and that there was a church with a red door that had some rare and beautiful Tiffany stained glass windows.  I just kind of nodded, because when someone starts talking about fine crystal and stained glass, they sound like Charlie Brown's teacher very quickly.  It did sound cool though, so we checked it out.  Here are the cottages we saw.

....aaaand we found the church with the red door.  It just so happened that a local was there dropping something off, so it was open & Kimberly talked her way in to get a few shots.  We may be giving away a local town secret here, but they say these were donated back around 1905 and are quite valuable.  We'll take their word for it, here you go.

Ok, time to wrap it up. We made it back to the campground in time for my fantasy football draft (just like last year, on the road again), but not before stopped across the street at the local lobster pound to tear into this guy.

A pretty fitting end to our final night in Maine.  Tomorrow marks the beginning of our return trip, as we work our way west into New Hampshire.  More to follow.