Pictures again!

Raleigh, channeling "Aunt Vicki" at Jordan Pond in Acadia National Park.
The water was crystal clear!

Lon, off roading before the tide gets back in.

I've lost track of where I left off... 

Well...we couldn't see Plymouth Rock Saturday because there was a bomb scare!!!  

Of course there was.  Turned out to be an empty box but apparently 

someone really did try to set off a bomb in 1976 for real.

I wish you could see the blue lights
flashing and the police tape
around "the rock".

Look!  Raleigh found Sebastian!
They have lobsters like we have pigs in Smithfield...

Lon is keeping Raleigh warm.  She had to
buy the clipper ship sweatshirt because
she was freezing!

My Lobster Roll...so good!

So Sunday morning we had another change of plans.  Tim and I took off to get a glimpse of "the rock" and were successful.  There was a great ranger there giving a presentation and I learned a little more than when I was in 4th grade.  

Scituate Lighthouse in the fog.
The oldest lighthouse with the
keepers original house attached.

As luck would have it, some of my ancestors came ashore in Boston with the 

Winthrop Fleet and settled in Scituate, Me.  That is only 20 miles from Plymouth 

so Tim kindly took me up the coast to check it out.

There were some great spots related to my family history 

and we went to a museum where I purchased a book about the settling of Scituate. 

The fog along the coast was fierce and the locals were keeping an eye out for hurricane Jose

as it creeps up the Atlantic.  Glad we will be leaving

 and headed inland before it 

is due to strike.

Our campground serves breakfast  so Sunday morning
we headed to the little restaurant.  Tim is ready to eat...No cooking for me

Raleigh and Lon stayed "home" and took the morning off, 

so to speak.  They were happy to have a little alone time to unwind.
For dinner we headed to Sandwich, Me. on Cape Cod hoping to get one 

last meal by the sea but, 

wouldn't you know it, there were no restaurants on 

the water.  We headed back to Plymouth and had a one last 

seafood meal before heading home.  

Actually the guys ate beef 

and the girls had salmon.

We finally got to go out for ice-cream  

Raleigh has been bribing Tim with the 

promise of ice cream so it was pay up time.

Raleigh pulled extra wound care duties and fixed up my pinkie finger.


You might be a redneck if...



...you use gauze, duct tape and a broken off plastic fork (for a splint)

Today is Tuesday and we left Plymouth around 7:00 to head home.  The first two hours
we made it about 27 miles due to one lane roads, and rush hour traffic.  And let's just
say that the ride was also very bumpy.  If bumps could jiggle off fat, I'd be skinny by now.
After that, we decided to take Rt. 84 across Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania so we could crank it back up to 55 mph.  We made it to our campsite by 4:00 and since it would take 20 minutes to go back out to get the chicken we planned to eat, we settled for cereal, remnants of pimento cheese (how did that happen...it should have been gone long ago but someone tucked it in the back of our tiny refrigerator!), crackers, Oreos/milk, and Lon had left over beef tips from last night's dinner.  Tim drooled the whole time Lon was eating.  Lon offered to sell it to him but the price was too steep.

Tomorrow we go to Madison, Va. via Lucketts near Leesburg.  I get to see my friend, Melaney, again and in a restaurant instead of an elementary school parking lot this time.  In Madison, we get to visit some of Lon's friends and perhaps trade our seafood for some great barbecue in Culpepper.
It is 8:15, the crickets and frogs are at it again, it's dark and we are actually about ready to call it a night so we can get on the road early again tomorrow.  Two days and we will be Home Sweet Home!

Made it to Plymouth via Boston, AKA Traffic Hell!

Well...another day with sketchy internet so no pictures currently...

and I have some great ones.  You'll just have to use your imagination 

and wait on the edges of your seats, I guess.

We were able to mobilize quickly this morning and were on the road by 7:09 headed for Plymouth, Mass. with the intention of going to Martha's Vineyard tomorrow.  The consensus was to get on a main highway so we could maximize our time on the road at as close to a cruising speed of 55 mph as we could get.  One of our quick stops was to get a New Hampshire sticker to put on the bus.  I found it interesting that there was an exit, much like the ones we have in Virginia for rest areas, but it was for a huge liquor store...that's it, just alcohol.  I thought maybe Raleigh wanted to get some scotch for 

Bick, but she and Tim came back to the bus with, just a sticker.  After a stop for donuts, and another one for fuel and burgers, we approached Boston.  Oh-My-Goodness!  There was an accident about 10 miles ahead of us and we were crawling along at a snail's pace. (insert a screen shot of google maps all fired up in red)  Consequently, our average speed wasn't a whole lot better than when we were taking the back roads.  We still made it to our destination by 4:00 which may have been a record for this trip.  Tim has been doing the majority of the bus driving.  I think he is a little hesitant to let me get behind the wheel but Raleigh has filled in some.  Of course, she has driven Lon's pulling truck so she is more capable than all of us.

Our campsite is beautiful, wooded, and filled with crickets and frogs making their night sounds as I type (with my 9 good digits).  We quickly set up camp then headed into Plymouth for dinner. 

  

The downtown was bustling with Saturday tourists and we were thrilled to get a handicap parking space right by Plymouth Rock.  Since it was getting close to the rush hour for dinner, we opted to go eat and then come back and take pictures of the famous rock. We ate at a great restaurant on the water.  I was able to check something else off of my bucket list.  I had a lobster roll and it was yummy.  (Insert a picture of my lobster roll here) But market price for the day put a $25 price tag on it.  Talk about sticker shock for a sandwich!  It was worth it though and I won't have the opportunity to have another one for quite a while.  

As luck would have it, when we returned from dinner, "the rock", was surrounded by police and road blocks and we could hear the bull horns announcing..."turn around, do not walk this way".  We were literally 30 feet away, but alas, couldn't get close enough to see it. I have no idea what was going on and the Mass. Police weren't interested in explaining it to Tim when he asked. Stuffed from our great meal, we reluctantly decided against ice cream and just came back to camp.

Raleigh and I were slap happy and had a little trouble reading the campsite map to find the restrooms.  I think she may be scoping out a nearby tree to use if she has to go in the dark again!  

It looks like Martha's Vineyard may be out due to some ferry schedule changes and reservation availability so Tim and I will be off to Cape Cod tomorrow while Raleigh and Lon take a little break and watch a movie or something.  Then off in the afternoon to try to see Plymouth Rock again!  

Oh what a day...

Wednesday we moved from the mainland to Mt. Desert (pronounced like dessert because it is French) Island where we have more room and shade and a lovely view of a bay where daily there are clam diggers out and about at low tide.  Once we got our site set up we went off to scout out the area and plan for the next couple of days' adventures. We went into Bar Harbor for dinner at the Rt. 66 diner.  On the way there we saw one of the largest yachts in the world moored in the harbor.  It is 350 feet long, has a helicopter on it and a 65 foot pleasure boat attached.  Not too shabby.  We did a little shopping and headed back for a good night's sleep. "At this point we are all wishing the bus was a little larger on the inside". (some of you will catch the reference there) The air mattress is still holding air but I was listing a little to the side, wedged against the pantry most of the night.  At least I was snugged couldn't fall off the bed!  Tim tends to snore so I had to punch him occasionally so the campers next door wouldn't wake up, not to mention Raleigh and Lon who were snug in their sleeping bags up front.

Thursday, we woke up to a dead battery in the van, ugh, so our departure for the Acadia National Park was a little delayed.  Lon had prepared for the trip by checking all sorts of hoses and chains, etc. but we didn't even think about the battery. Fortunately, our neighbor had jumper cables so we weren't delayed too terribly long.  We had a wonderful trip around the island and Lon was able to take several paths that were wheelchair accessible.  We stopped at Jordon Pond and the water was crystal clear. The views are stunning and in spite of being warmer than we expected, the weather has been pleasant.

After coming back to the bus for a bit of a break and some wound care (which involved getting the hot water heater in the bus working just right...you know, not too hot-not too cold!) we were off to Southwest Harbor and Beal's Lobster Pier.  

Lon's not afraid of an ol' lobster!  

Raleigh had her first lobster and thanks to the folks sitting next to us, who taught about eating it, we managed to just eat the good parts.  Don't eat anything green and only eat anything red if you like roe.  The restaurant did the hard part and cracked the claws and tail so getting to the good stuff was pretty easy.  Tim opted for a burger with bacon since he had seafood for the last two days and didn't want to work too hard for his food. 

So...It's Friday, and we wake up to, drum roll, a dead battery again.  Raleigh and Lon were planning to go back to Bar Harbor, alone, and get some shopping done, and Tim and I planned to stay behind and do laundry and reorganize the bus. This time the jump start didn't work so we had to call AAA.  Even with an expedited call for a handicap vehicle, it took AAA an hour and a half to come.  In the mean time, I worked on organizing things, putting away our air mattress and sleeping bags, etc. After Tim organized the outside of our site, he was able to sit and read his book and look at our bucolic view.  Raleigh and Lon went exploring with Lon's off road wheelchair and started a couple of loads of laundry.  Essentially, we just took a chill pill and relaxed.

This chair is awesome!

Did I mention that just before we left for our trip I had twisted my knee and my range of motion is somewhat limited so getting on an off the last step of the bus is challenging?  Well, just as the AAA tow truck arrived, I stepped out of the bus, stepped on a gnarly root and twisted my ankle, grabbed the handle on the bus door, and before falling to the ground, sliced a big flap on my pinkie finger on said handle.  Raleigh saw me and was sure I had hit my head, but thankfully I didn't.  I'm bleeding like a stuck pig, writhing in pain from the ankle and pinkie finger, and Raleigh calmly says, "I've got this".  She rushes to the bus, grabs some of Lon's wound care supplies and goes to work.  In her former life she would not have even been able to look at the wound but now it's like, "whatever".  She took photos of the wound and sent it to all of her "peeps" hoping someone would respond and give us advice about whether it warranted a visit to the ER or not because it was kind of gross.  Her brother, Will, called.  He's a wilderness first responder, and gave his sage advice.  Then a few of Raleigh and Lon's "peeps" answered her " shout out" and we realized that no amputation was needed and that I would survive.  Of course, Tim was ready with his rusty pocket knife just in case he had to perform surgery!!!

Finally, Lon and Raleigh got to go shopping while we took a nap.  

We just had grilled cheese and soup for dinner and watched a beautiful campfire to top off the night.  As I type this blog, I was whining about only having 9 digits and what a pain it is to type but Lon reminded me that he does it with 1 digit all the time and it just takes a little longer.  Good point, Lon.  No more complaining from me. I'm having trouble adding the rest of the pictures from the last two days so I will have to try again later.

Tomorrow we are off to Martha's Vineyard to knock that of the bucket list. It will be a long day of driving but then we have two days to enjoy the sites before heading back home.

A Mermaid? Where did she come from?

We were a little frustrated at one point, I can't remember what the  problem was, but Raleigh ran in to Walmart for something and this is how she returned!!!  Ariel at her finest.  She knows how to make us laugh.  She put that on
IN THE PARKING LOT.
I love that girl.  I think Lon has always had a thing for mermaids.

One of the clever storage systems Raleigh
 and Lon created for daily supplies.

One of our campsites.

Leaves changing already.

Can you see the stone cliffs that are behind us
at the campsite?

Some beautiful wild flowers nearby

This is Lon, waiting to get up in the morning.  We call him the human burrito!!!
That was a  particularly cold night!  Poor guy, we can torture him and he is a captive audience.

More photos...the trip north

 Please pardon the fact that some of these might be out of sequence.  With my lack of technical skills, I am just glad there are actually pictures for to be seen!

How do you like the "popcorn" ceiling.  At times we feel like we are in a bunker when the curtains are all  closed!  No time to finish the ceiling before we left.  And the redneck chandelier hanging down top right adds a nice touch.  If it only worked!  That is Lon's bed/our sofa in the blue and green fabric in the foreground.  

Another view of the new streamlined version of the bus.  On the right wall are cabinets that  tilt out and hold plastic containers for each of us and our supplies.  Let's not get into whether Walmart gave us the wrong lids to the containers so they might not fit quite right....however, they still work and it's a great system..
Lon's looking cool in his shades, all secure.
The blue cabinet in the back right is pretty much a pantry. At night, that is where our air mattress goes, whether inflated or not.

When we left for the trip, I immediately realized that my wallet was still at my house so this is me passing the bus on its way out while I am going back for my house key.  It took me several hours to catch up with them by the time I got myself organized and on the road.

Lon is ready for whatever terrain we encounter with his off-road chair.

Lon just finished checking our work on the bus in the barn.  Lots of late
nights were spent out there.  This photo looks kinda spooky.

It's about time...photos!!!

Thursday, Sept. 14

Let me back up and insert some photos from the beginning of the journey.  Here is the new barn that houses all of Lon's "toys".  It will also house a workshop for Raleigh to do her projects.

Raleigh, Lon, and nephew, Hodges
headed to the barn to check out the bus.

Measure twice, cut once!

In the barn, in the shade with Lon supervising all of us and keeping us straight!

Not only does Carolyn cook,
she installs windows with Bick!

  Definitely a group project.     

Lon worked on the master plan and kept us from screwing up, Bick was the master electrician/plumber, Raleigh's Uncle Ken helped with the shower install, Andy Wilman and Morrell Carr helped with welding and fabricating, I helped with painting and covering cushions, Tim was a jack of all trades and Raleigh did the carpentry, new floor, cabinets, and everything in between.  Let's just say, Lowes should have sponsored this trip considering how many trips we made to Lowes!

All lined up, ready to stow our gear.

Ready to Roll...

Last minute oil change before we leave the driveway!  Lon has taught her well!!!

On the Road Again-Maine or Bust

After the trip to Colorado last summer Raleigh and Lon re-evaluated the functionality of the Struggle Bus and decided that it needed to be "tweaked" a little before the next adventure.  While the trip was a blast it was definitely a learning experience.  Raleigh's brother, Will, was on the trip with us and we had daily debriefings when we would each assess how the day went.  He referred to these as our "Mountain, Valley, Stream"  or the "Rose, Bud, Thorn" sessions.  We each had to tell what our Mountain/Rose was for the day.  That would be the best part.  Then the Valley/Thorn part which was the worst part.  And finally, we would talk about the Stream/Bud part which encompassed what we could do in the future to make things go better or something we looked forward to.  Let's just say there were a few thorns to be pruned and valleys to climb out of when it was all said and done.

Consequently, Raleigh and Lon proceeded to totally GUT the bus and start over.  This time there are fewer bungie cords and command hooks for sure. There are custom cabinets, insulated flooring, carpet under the drivers seat and where Lon enters the bus.   It helped that they built a barn big enough that the bus fit inside, out of the sun and weather while the remodeling took place.  This version of the bus is much more streamlined.  It functions more as an elaborate tent than an RV.  The main difference is that there is a shower so Lon can be on the road longer.  We also moved his bed forward in the bus and we use it as a sofa when he's not sleeping.  Raleigh has a better mattress for her cot, but it is still narrow.  Good thing she is so tiny.  Tim and I have graduated to an air mattress in the back of the bus instead of the pitiful Ikea foam sofa we used to have.

We left on Saturday, the 9th, headed to Bar Harbor, Maine and Acadia National Park.  The object is to get there as quickly as possible so that we can enjoy 4 days of camping on the beach!!!  And hiking, shopping and eating lobster and what ever else we can fit in.  Unfortunately, as I type this in the dark, I can't seem to be able to load photos right now.  So you will have to wait for the funny shots to go with the stories.

Our first day took us to Pennsylvania, via Lucketts, Va., where we met up with one of my favorite people.  Melaney met us in the parking lot of an elementary school.  We only had 20 minutes to spend but it was my "mountain" for the day.  As we drove through Pennsylvania the scenery was beautiful and we passed many orchards.  We got into camp a little late so we quickly fired up the Coleman stove and heated up the barbecue we had frozen.  We were hungry and not too picky so that was good.  Then things went a little south.  The bus was all set up for a wonderful night's sleep when we punctured a hole in our air mattress on some screw tips we didn't realize were sticking out of the cabinet next to the bed.  There may have been a couple of expletives heard by the other campers.  So, we slept on the floor.  It was really cold outside, and we were one sleeping bag short.  Since I sleep hot, I made Raleigh use my bag and I used an afghan of Lon's.  Well, it was an afghan I made for him to use with his wheelchair so it was narrow....and I'm not!  So...let's just say it wasn't the best night's sleep.

We got on the road pretty early Sunday and made it to Gilboa, New York.  We are quickly realizing that what could be a seven hour trip takes us about nine and a half.  But that's okay.  Raleigh got some time in driving the bus and she and I traded off driving their van.  We bring that in case there is an emergency and Lon needs alternate transportation.  They don't really rent handicap vans just everywhere!  Tim drove the bus most of the time and even has a little chauffeur hat.  We did stop at Walmart...one of our many little delays, and bought a new air mattress that was nicer and taller so it is easier to get in and out of.  We put tape over the screw tips and pillows in front of them to protect the new mattress.  Unfortunately, with the taller mattress, we didn't realize there were more screw tips higher up on the cabinet.  You see where I'm going with this.  All I can say is that I'm glad I was showering while the inflation/deflation was taking place.  And duct tape does not work well as a patch.  The patch kit that came with the mattress didn't have any adhesive with it because it is illegal to ship it with the kit.  How does that make sense?  The mattress had a built in pump so Tim would pump it up when our butts were touching the floor, which was very loud, and would wake up Lon and Raleigh.  At one point the mattress was so flat that I was rolling off and wedged by the cabinet and Tim had his foot stuck in the mechanics of Lon's lift.  He was laughing so hard because the bed was so flat that he couldn't turn himself over to get his foot loose.  Let's just say, another night's sleep went down the drain.  At least we got another sleeping bag so we were all warm!

Monday morning we got an early start and were on the road by 7:00.  Our hope was that we would be in camp by 3:30 but again, it was more like 5:30. At least it was still daylight.  And another gorgeous ride.  We have opted to stay off of the main highways and Lon plotted a wonderful route through beautiful country.  It is fun to see the different terrain and signs for Moose.  We are in a camping "resort" on the coast of Maine tonight.  It truly is a resort...pools, hot tubs, game room, entertainment stage...and we are the only school bus in the place.  What a surprise!

Tomorrow we will be in Bar Harbor and be able to stay there for four days.  We can't wait to smell the sea breeze and can't wait to be in one place and really set up camp.  And hopefully I will figure out how to post pictures so you can see the new set-up.  Now I must go inside and see if the patch kit worked. If it didn't, I may have to kick Raleigh off of her cot!