Return to Florida via Upstate New York

It was time to bid New Hampshire adieu and pull up stakes from our comfortable Brick House Drive-In digs. Gary and Ro were most gracious hosts, as always, and very tolerant of our week-long stay in their backyard...and constant foraging for clams, scallops, onion rings, burgers, and frappes in their restaurant during meal times, too! So, with some hesitation and much anticipation, we set out for New York heading northwest on I-89 towards Vermont.

Along the way, we noticed a couple of stunted pine trees. You can see one of them in the center of the picture below. Strangely, our cell service greatly improved as we approached one of these towering pines.

Woodstock (no, not the infamous Woodstock of the rock and roll music and peace festival of August 1969 in Wallkill, New York, this town is much more yuppy hip chic) was our exit to take Route 4 west towards New York.

It was nice to venture off the four lane interstate and meander down the scenic two lane state road across Vermont.

We stopped briefly in Killington, Vermont to make a call and grab a picture of one of the many hay sculptures along Route 4. I believe the one pictured below was a sunflower. We were not the only ones to stop for a photo op.

It was a rather easy and laid back day of driving across Vermont. As we approached the state line, we noticed a small rest area and welcome center perched atop a verdant hill. A perfect stop to let Zuzu and Tootie explore, do their potty business, and have dinner.

It was so scenic and peaceful here that we kindly asked the attendant in the welcome center if we could stay the night. She didn't object and warned us that we would be on our own after 7 p.m. until she returned the next morning at 8:00. I scanned the bucolic setting and asked if there was a safety concern here in this small all but seemingly forgotten town in west-central Vermont. She said anything could happen. So, with adventurous hearts we thanked her for allowing us to spend the night in our camper on the parking lot and settled in for the night...locking the motorhome door, of course.

Our guard dogs at the ready to fend off intruders...

We awoke the next morning, safe and secure in our motorhome having heard no suspicious noises during the night save the deep rumble and rattle of Tootie snoring. Breakfast, a walk, and a couple of coffees later, we fired up the engine and continued west into New York.

The scenery changed a little. It's interesting to see how unique the landscapes are from one state to the next. The hills began to flatten a bit as we headed into the valley towards the Adirondaks. We had travel ten or so miles on another interstate, I-87, before picking up another two-lane state road. Passing through Saratoga Springs, we meandered west towards Amsterdam stopping briefly at this "rest area" along the way. It was really a picnic area with an historic marker. All in all, it was a good place for Zuzu and Tootie to take care of some business before reaching Camping World in Amsterdam, NY.

We entered Amsterdam, a quaint town located along the Mohawk River, a tributary to the Hudson River, tightly nestled deeply between the hills. Wayne reminisced as we descended towards the river. He had spent his sophomore year living with his aunt and uncle in Duanesburg not too far from Amsterdam. Many good memories here. One of the best years of his life he is quick to tell you.

During our visit with Wayne's aunt Alice and uncle Ray, we left Zuzu and Tootie alone in the RV for some rest and explored Sharon Springs, home of the the Beekman Boys. We checked out their new store, Beekman 1802, and were honestly disappointed. Some things are best undiscovered in person and left alone in the world of television entertainment.

The Beekman House is no different in person, but without the narrow and focused vision of the camera lens, it is not as we had imagined. I pondered if the stars of the show, The Fabulous Beekman Boys airing on Planet Green channel, actually live here on the farm. The premise of the series is that Josh and Brent decided to purchase the farm to become farmers and escape the hectic life of New York City. The cynic believes that the show was pitched to Planet Green and the guys were hired to be the Beekman Boys. I couldn't imagine a doctor and a former drag queen giving up their New York City social lives for Sharon Springs.

After driving past the Beekman Farm, Wayne was still talking about the strong after taste of the goat cheese we sampled at the Beekman 1802 store. To cleanse the palate, we decided to stop here for an ice cream. It turned out that they had cherry dipped cones! Wayne has fond memories of having cherry dipped cones when he was a child, and has searched in vain for them during our travels. Everyone usually gives him a strange look when he asks if they have cherry dipped cones, except for the person on the other side of the window at this ice cream stand. It was she who gave Wayne the quizzical look as he asked her, "Really, you have cherry dip, actual cherry dip?" We eagerly ordered two medium cherry dipped cones, ten inches of vanilla soft serve ice cream encapsulated in a hard cherry flavored shell.

He excitedly called everyone in his contact list to let them know he wasn't crazy and that cherry dip does exist in upstate New York! No, he didn't call everyone, only his aunt to let her know that we were okay since we told her we were simply going to the supermarket at the bottom of the hill.

Once back, we took a tour of uncle Ray's apple orchard. Here is the proud farmer showing us the result of his grafting skills.

Aunt Alice talking to Wayne with Zuzu patiently waiting...Tootie was looking for a spot to lay down.

After our too brief stay with Ray and Alice, we headed south to Florida. We had to be back in time to take care of Cheyenne, our goddog. Cheyenne's mom was going to California for a week and her dad works nights in Key West. Cheyenne was going to spend the night with her new friends, Zuzu and Tootie while her dad was at work.

We stopped in once again to visit with Tracy and Chris outside of D.C.  Zuzu and Tootie quickly made themselves at home.

While in Maryland, we stocked up on goodies from Trader Joe's (the closest TJs to the Keys is Atlanta, GA!) and enjoyed another brief visit with Tracy, Chris, and their girls.

Heading south on I-95, the longest north-south interstate in the United States, we crossed the Potomac River just south of D.C...

...entered Virgina...

...North Carolina...

...and South Carolina.

We kept seeing billboards advertising "South of the Border," a must-see attraction as you enter Georgia. During its heyday, this complex was probably teeming with tourists and families traveling I-95, similar to Wall Drug in South Dakota, Klines Corners in New Mexico, and various other roadside attractions along America's interstates. Not sure if one can still go up the giant sombrero tower.

We spent the night in a rest area north of Savannah, Georgia. The next morning, ambled across our final state line of the trip. "Welcome to Florida, the Sunshine State."

The sun did greet us in the north, but the following day as we made our way south on US-1, the Overseas Highway, sunshine was scarce. The lack of sunshine, however, did not diminish the beauty of this drive. As many times as we have driven the length of US-1, we are never bored with nor unimpressed with the beauty of the waters dotted with mangrove islands.

Descending the hump on the 7-mile bridge, we enter the Lower Keys. Soon we pass Little Duck Key, Missouri Key, Ohio Key, Bahia Honda Key, Scout Key (a.k.a. West Summerland Key), Big Pine Key, Little, Middle, and Big Torch Keys, Ramrod Key, Summerland Key, Cudjoe Key, and finally Sugarloaf Key.

A glimpse of the old railroad bridge at Bahia Honda off the port side.

Crossing the Bahia Honda Channel, we found another one of the many scattered showers enveloping the Lower Keys.

By early afternoon, our faithful motorhome was back in her berth nestled under the Royal Poinciana.

We were away a little over a month...and the lawn shows it. The mower won't go through this tangled mess of weeds, vines, and grass...

No, it's a job for Wayne and the weed trimmer. By 7:00 p.m. a soaked to the bone Wayne climbed the steps to the front door, victoriously taming the yard. Zuzu and Tootie can now romp freely in the yard without picking up burrs.

New Hampshire Adventures

Following a very nice visit with Wayne's sister and family, we headed north to New Hampshire to see our Cudjoe Key neighbors, Gary and Ro. We think Zuzu and Tootie were happy to be back in the RV, their well-appointed kennel on wheels. What dog would complain about having your bed and kitchen in one space, and new smells and adventures at every stop! As before, Zuzu and Tootie preferred to sleep and play back in the bedroom while we rolled down the highway. Occasionally, though, they would make their way up front to see what was going on. Especially when we slowed down in traffic or, better yet, when we were stopping at a rest area.

Here, Zuzu was curious about our crossing of the Hudson River on the Tappan Zee Bridge north of the City. Hope she enjoyed the view...it cost $25 for the RV and tow car. Ouch! 

We didn't push it all of the way into Hooksett, NH. Instead, we stopped to feed Z and T dinner at the Connecticut welcome center and rest area and decided to stay the night. They had a nice separate area for RVs to park away from the trucks.

We pulled into the Brick House parking lot by noon the next day. We didn't have that far to travel, but couldn't pass by the Costco in Nashua without stopping to stock up on chicken thighs for Z and T. No, the hot dog greeter wasn't out to welcome us when we arrived. But she did make an appearance later in the week. Making drivers happy gave her a rush and she would have stayed out there longer if the hot dog suit wasn't so hot.

We tucked the RV in our usual spot behind the restaurant...mmm, you can already smell the fried clams, scallops, and onion rings! Zuzu and Tootie didn't know what to make of this destination at first, but soon discovered the stray cats across the street.

They did enjoy their stay in New Hampshire. We went to Livingston Park in Manchester which has a nice gravel path around a small pond. Zuzu, the hunter, was always eager to arrive and chase the chipmunks and squirrels. There seemed to be an endless supply, too.

They appeared to be in their element. Probably more so than in south Florida where they can only chase lizards, iguanas, and birds and the "woods" consist of buttonwoods and mangroves.

Vizsla on point on a rock...

Tootie wondering why we stopped...oh, another picture...Zuzu may see another chipmunk around the corner.

This is a great spot to walk Z and T.

Saturday of Labor Day weekend, we decided to take the girls to the coast, which is only an hour east of Hooksett. Our destination was Kennebunkport, Maine. From here, were were planning on following US-1 down the coast towards Portsmouth, NH.

Unlike the calm waters and relatively sandy beaches surrounding the Keys, the rocks and surf of the New England coast makes it less suitable for romping and wading. The sound of the waves crashing on the rocks unsettled the girls a bit. It took some coaxing and convincing to get them to walk along the path that meandered well above the rocky beach below.

Just around the bend we could see the Bush family compound, Walker's Point.

We did the tourist thing and took a picture of Zuzu and Tootie with the Bush family compound in the background. They didn't seem to be too impressed.

On the way back to the car, Zuzu was curious what was behind the concrete wall. With a cuteness factor of well over 100, we could not resist a quick photo.

Once back near the car, we found a nice spot to take a picture of the girls on the coast. A very nice gentleman offered, in his thick Massachusetts accent, to take our picture. One of the few occasions with the four of us in the same picture.

Once back from our afternoon excursion, the girls took their siesta on the bed. Zuzu closest to the window to better keep an eye on the cats roaming the trailer park across the street.

Couldn't resist this shot of Tootie sitting on her right hip. Too cute!

Labor Day weekend marks the end of the Brick House season. Gary keeps a countdown of the days remaining in the season on his whiteboard in the back of the restaurant. A quick glance from his workstation at the fryolator reminds him of how many days until paradise...or until the closing process begins, which involves serious cleaning of all nooks and crannies of the restaurant, before they can pack the Rover and head south to Cudjoe Key in mid-October.

With the closing of the restaurant, Gary and Ro's life returns to normal... eating at normal times, being able to shop during the day, and, well, stepping off the treadmill and slowing down a bit. Experiencing the outdoors is a must in New Hampshire, and there are plenty of places to do so. One is Bear Brook State Park about fifteen minutes from their house. The park has several trails for hiking. This trail was nice and wide, used for horseback riding, making for an easy walk with a couple of small climbs. 

Once out of the woods, the trail opened up onto a large field. Tootie enjoyed the walk but was growing tired quickly. Zuzu, however, was full of energy and eager to track small game in the woods. 

After walking through the field, we took the road back to the parking lot. Along the way, the girls spotted a squirrel in the woods, not sled dogs as the sign warns. 

It was a nice walk. A good break from the chores for Gary and Ro and a nice adventure for the girls. They really enjoyed their New England visit. Hope they don't miss the trees and wildlife too much when we get back home in the Keys.