Lessons

Three months on the road, almost 15,000 miles, we came up with several lessons that we need to remember before our next big trip.

1. Find a good campsite, stick around longer. We stopped at a lot of campgrounds, usually a state park or provincial park or a national park, with only a few private campgrounds. Too often, we only spent one night and then moved on. The plan was to spend two days (or more) almost everywhere, and we still think that is the better way to travel. Heading West we kept moving because the wind was keeping us off the SUPs; we should have stuck around and kayaked on the SUPs.
2. Avoid lakes on weekends. We had no reservations, and finding a campsite on Friday or Saturday was always more of a challenge than other days of the week. And everyone wants to be on the nearby lake on the weekend. We need to pay more attention, and not try to find a campsite on those days.
3. Plan our clothes better. We brought clothes for hot weather and cold weather and wet weather. But we didn't plan it out well enough. More t-shirts, more socks, more layers.
4. Plan our kitchen better. We brought stemware and napkin holders which we never used, and a fry pan that was a bit small, and a spatula that was too soft. We brought the Sodastream, but not the tonic flavoring.
5. Plan our storage better. Having the three bins in the back on a sliding shelf was wonderful, but we need to be more clever about what we put in each. We didn't need to bring the milk crate in one, and we had more water bottles than we needed. Likewise, with a shelf above the three bins, we could cram the SUPs, and then the bikes could fit inside on the other slide. The bikes got way too dirty on the outside rack. 
6. Version 2, Screens. The back door and sliding door screens were wonderful in areas with mosquitoes, but they weren't perfect. In particular, the back screen suffered from too many gaps by the magnets around the top, and it kept getting in the way if we didn't take it down. With a better seal and a way to roll it up out of the way, it could become a permanent addition. The side screen was closer to perfect, the seams lined up better for a good seal from the flying teeth, but we couldn't leave it up and close the door. Perhaps we can improve on it, too.
7. Better power management. We were plugged into shore power for only a few nights at the beginning of the trip; we lived on the house battery the rest of the trip, charged only by our one 150w solar panel. We would have liked to use the InstaPot more. We would have liked to use the ceiling fan some nights or the box fan. We would have liked to pump up the SUPs more often. We need to get a second house battery, and perhaps replace the existing one if it's dying from overuse. There's room on the roof for a second, 100w solar panel to better charge the two batteries. The Sprinter has room in the engine compartment for a second battery, and also a second alternator. It may be that having a second alternator for charging the house batteries might be a good way to ensure we always have the energy when we need it. Ideally we will learn how to sleep comfortably without air conditioning. 
8. Build a better awning. We used our awning in White Springs, and we gave up on it after one of the magnetic hooks broke, but it wasn't working even before that. Our new plan is to sew-in bar magnets to one end of the fabric to tether one end to Ernie, along with a more robust way to hold up the far end. 
9. Look into a Cellular Extender. In the US it seems that every State and National Park has minimal cell service, but putting an extender on Ernie's roof and then repeat its signal to our phones is a great way to be connected on the road. They're pricey, but being off the grid so much is unpleasant. What was surprising was how good a signal we got in the Canadian parks.
10. Three months is enough. We cut it short a bit because of my back pain, but we were ready to be home anyway. Another week or two would've been doable, but we were ready to call it a good tour, and start preparing for the next one. We needed time and bandwidth to find better boondocking resources, better lighting, better cell, better batteries, better storage, better living.

Stop 59: Neptune Beach FL

We packed Ernie, bid a fond farewell to Greg and Sarah, and Ernie wouldn't start. Uh, oh! I suspect the heavy rains we had the past couple of days left something a bit wet, but after several tries we got a rough idle that smoothed out reasonably quickly. We stopped five miles later for a tankful of diesel, and Ernie started immediately afterwards. And then we drove.

At 541 miles, it was the longest drive of the trip, and the most time on Interstate, and almost all of it on my least favorite, I-95. But the aggravating and inexplicable slowdowns I-95 is known for were non-existent, and the drive was as carefree as we could possibly hope for. I drove faster longer than I did the entire trip, maintaining 70 mph to stay in the flow of traffic for the majority of the interstate drive.

We also had the scariest moment of our trip. Cruising along at 70 in the right lane of I-95 in South Carolina, a white pickup in front of me wandered slowly over to the left lane, and started slowing a bit, while I noticed a semi coming up fast in the left lane behind me. Then, suddenly, the pickup slammed on his brakes to make an illegal U-turn! I swerved over to the breakdown lane to give the semi an escape route, while he locked up his brakes in an impressive cloud of 16 wheel rubber dust. I expect he will have flat spots on all his tires now, but the pickup made it into the median without becoming a hood ornament.

Once we passed Jacksonville International Airport, the looney tune drivers showed their colors swerving in and out of the traffic, or wandering between lanes unaware it was a multi-lane highway, but none required me to lock up my brakes to avoid them. And with it being 4:30 in the afternoon, the lights on Atlantic were timed to move traffic to the Beaches, so we made every light from St John's Bluff.

Ninety six nights, 59 places, 14,944 miles, with an average of 21.2 mpg. A great trip, with many highlights, very few lowlights, many lessons learned, and a long To Do list before we head to Newfoundland next Summer!

Pictures are at https://photos.app.goo.gl/tdNMerszL3Y8C1yHA

Stop 58: Oriental NC

Day 1, August 3.

Driving from a Maryland beach to the Southern tip of the Outer Banks. We got up before dawn to watch the sunrise and walk the beach on a special island before a day's drive. While we eat breakfast, fog covers the beach and campground.

We head back to the mainland, and turn South. Beautiful country, and before long we're paying the $20 toll for crossing Chesapeake Bay on bridges and tunnels. It really is an impressive engineering tour de force. We stop for lunch at a convenient town (I loved my soup and Panini, and Sharon's soup and her shrimp and grits, but she didn't like hers as much). We stopped at a Walmart whose parking lot was so full finding a space for Ernie was challenging for their bathrooms and wine (in NC liquor stores don't have beer or wine).

We finished the fourth Armand Gamache, the Brutal Telling, and listened to podcasts (Stay Tuned with Preet) until we arrived at Greg and Sarah's in Oriental. Let the party start.

With Greg I am the back up tall guy. Sharon's kayak used to be Sarah's. Oh, and Sarah was Sharon's Maid of Honor at our wedding. We started our catching up in their driveway, then on their dock, and then over a delicious dinner and then dessert. Greg and I watched the Red Sox do a number on the Yankees before turning in, the first TV of our trip. The Sox pitcher was pretty awesome.

Day 2, Saturday August 4.

A delightful twenty miles of riding sinuous two lane preceeded breakfast. It felt good pedaling on smooth pavement in my big ring without shifting, letting my mind drift while maintaining an even cadence.

The rest of the day was more restful for me and Greg, while Sharon and Sarah got out more, first on a shopping trip / tour of Metro Oriental, and later offering their bodies to the horde of hungry mosquitoes who hadn't enjoyed as tasty a dinner as we all did. Greg treated us to a lovely boat tour of the nearby waterways, he and Sarah live in a magical place with so much right off their dock.

Day 3, Sunday August 5.

Sunday, the day of rest. Works for me, and with Sharon's boundless energy matched by Sarah's, they enjoyed hikes and paddles and shopping while I was okay with letting my back unwind and relaxing. Another delicious dinner and conversation, and an early night in preparation for the long drive come morning.

Pictures are at https://photos.app.goo.gl/eVpvqiWFJgswzV4x8

Stop 57: Assateague SP MD

Thursday, August 2.

A quick breakfast and we hit the road. The Shenandoah NP weather forecast is rain, so we're heading for the Delaware coast. As we turned to go South a sign appeared, warning of only 11' clearance in a mile. We weren't ready to get rid of the a/c unit yet, so a quick U-turn prompted our first re-route of the day. While I chose the more Westerly route on Gmaps, the re-route tripped taking the fastest route through Harrisburg and Philadelphia. While the road surface was showing its age in patchwork, the traffic was surprisingly well behaved and slowdowns minimal.

Our initial destination (Delaware Seashore SP), across the street from the beach, proved to be a parking spot in a huge lot of RVs, and $50 for the privilege. Uh, No, even if it was the only site available for our one night stand. We drove on, initially to an inland state park, but then Sharon changed our course to Assateague.

Assateague Island is a wild horse refuge. Speed limit is 30 or less, with large signs reminding drivers that the animals have right of way, and you are liable for a citation for any sort of feeding. It is also a barrier island. Assateague State Park is the Northern end of the island. South of the state park is the Assateague Island National Seashore.

The roar of the surf, at your campsite: sweet! We went for a short walk on the beach before getting the bikes out and riding the bike trail from our campground to the national park. It seems the horses roam around the campground. At check-in the ranger gave us the bear warning spiel we've heard so many times, except this was about the horses. As they walk through, eating the grass, every camper takes notice and stays relatively clear. Definitely worth the price of admission. We slept with doors open and screens up.

Pictures are at https://photos.app.goo.gl/xU7hPKEzpbNYtWe47

Stop 56: Watkins Glen SP

Day 1: Saturday July 28.

Josh and Jeanette made the reservations for our four night stay at site 235 in the Seneca Village loop. Since Keuka Lake is less than an hour away, Sharon got a nice bike ride in before we broke camp (roll up the welcome mat and stow it and the footstool, and close the windows). We stopped at Tops again for ice and ale and a couple other things, though on a Saturday morning parking Ernie in their lot was a little trickier but doable. I'm getting more comfortable dealing with a 24' behemoth.

We then drove the 5 miles over to the next lake, Seneca, working our way South to Watkins Glen. Our first stop was a Meadery, where we sampled a couple of their meads and hard ciders. They are rightfully proud of some of their products, while others cater to sweeter tastes or were commissioned to support diabetes. The good stuff was really good, so we ignored the rest. Both Mead and hard cider are excellent beverages when done well, and their main products were so palatable.

From there we hit another winery that reminded us of what we don't like about the Finger Lakes. Its wine tasting was horrid little sips for more money, and worse, the wine didn't taste good, being just too sweet for our taste. So we kept driving to another winery several miles down the lake. The wine was better, but still not worth buying, though their port was surprisingly tasty. We stopped at another winery, but rejected it without leaving Ernie (we can be snobby), but walked into our last winery choice because it offered grappa. They made a very nice grappa, and a very very nice brandy, and two white ports (!). Their wines were at least as good as anything we tasted.

Enough with the little sips, we drove into Watkins Glen and its abundance of tourists and daytrippers to the park. I confirmed an appointment for two new front tires for Ernie Monday morning before meeting Josh and Jeanette and their Samoyed Marshy at the Marina restaurant for a late lunch. Then it was up to the campground and settling in for our four night stay.

Watkins Glen SP Campground is high above the town. It has over 300 campsites in 4 loops. The drive up from town is silly steep, and Ernie doesn't like working so hard, and having to use so much brake to keep him in control dropping down. The first road of the climb is part of the original Watkins Glen road race course. (The current track is a closed track a couple miles from town.) The campground bathrooms have flush toilets (Yeah!) and hot showers (Double Yeah!). There's a lot of tent camping, and I suspect that part of the reason there are fewer RVs than other campgrounds is the steepness of the road to get here.

Day 2, Sunday July 29.

We all drove in Ernie to Finger Lakes Region SP and Taughannock Falls State Park. We hiked the rim trails in Taughannock Falls, which offered wonderful views of the river gorge below. The rock looks like massive slabs of slate, and I keep imagining making billiards tables from it. I need to see if that was ever an industry here.

After the hike we drove down to the lake to Finger Lakes and paddled the SUPs for a few hours, taking turns on the water and playing with Marshy. Marshy did get her turn on a SUP but it was short-lived.

After drying off and rolling the SUPs back up, we hiked up the gorge we walked around earlier. The river is wide and shallow after the 215' waterfall, giving the option to walk on the trail or in and along the water.

Day 3, Monday July 30.

After a quick breakfast, I drove Ernie to Parmenter Tire for new front tires. After a bit, they asked I come back Tuesday afternoon, so we went for hikes in our park. The campground was packed Saturday/Sunday, but mostly empty on Monday. The trails were much less crowded on a Monday than the weekend.

The Gorge Trail is one of the most beautiful walks we've ever done. The rock carved by the river is on display from a path that straddles the sinuous cascading water, bridges over the water, and tunnels under the river, providing a gamut of extraordinary angles to appreciate. Dogs aren't allowed on the narrow and crowded path, so we hiked up and met Josh and Jeanette at one end and then walked back on the far less interesting rim trail. Then we all hiked the longer South Rim trail, made more interesting because it continues under a railroad trestle to the pond behind the dam above the gorge.

We all were exercised out, retired to the campsite, and then to Ernie when the rain finally dribbled in. Radar threatened Red, but it split in two leaving us in the soft Green. It was still enough to create mud and puddles, but it stopped soon enough for an evening campfire.

Day 4, Tuesday July 31.

First off, we dropped Ernie off at Parmenter Tire. Then the five of us headed to Cayuga Lake to visit the wineries. The Finger Lakes are marketed as a great wine area, particularly for whites. Cornell University worked with the winemakers to come up with new grape varieties that thrive in this environment. The Cayuga grape is one that is quite tasty. We stopped at several wineries (Swedish Hill, Varick, Knapp, Lucas, and Americana), and then had lunch at the Thirsty Owl. The best two were Lucas and Varick, though Swedish Hill and Americana we're also quite good. Our lunch wines at Thirsty Owl were all quite acceptable.

Waiting for our meal I got a call from Parmenter Tire, that my tires didn't arrive. Sigh. So we're staying around for one more day, not in the same site but close. We planned to drive to Shenandoah NP for a 2 night stay before continuing on to Oriental NC, but now it'll be just an overnight stop.

Josh and Jeanette have done an extraordinary job with our dinners. Tonight we had tuna steaks with a sauce to die for, and tomato and fresh mozzarella cheese and basil. It should have a warning label about drooling.

Day 5, Wednesday August 1.

After breakfast we all packed up and said goodbye, Josh and Jeanette and Marshy to Brooklyn, Sharon and I to Walmart. We have a light in Ernie that we really like, and we want another. Every Walmart we go to has an empty hook for them, including this one. Sigh. We had better luck at the hardware store, getting a bolt that hopefully will replace the broken one on our screenroom.

We then stopped at Parmenter Tire to check on our new tires. They arrived! And the new camber bolts, and the mobile alignment rack. So we took the bikes off Ernie and went for a ride.

The Catherine Valley Trail is a Rails to Trails gravel/dirt path South out of Watkins Glen for 12 miles or so. It follows a lake inlet for a while before slowly climbing through the woods up the valley. It goes through one town with sidewalks and stores for a couple blocks, and another with a few homes and no sidewalks, and a short bit where you can hear the two lane highway but thick dense foliage hides any visual clues. Easy on a mountain bike, and a cross bike wouldn't have a problem, but a road bike might not like some of the mud.

On the way back Terry called that Ernie had new sneakers and properly aligned, so we picked up the pace. Since it was all downhill, it was easy and fun. And Ernie feels so much better to drive, confident I don't have to worry about a front tire blowout. If I knew how good Terry and Parmenter Tire were, I would have loved to get a second battery and alternator.

Which would be a nice solution to a problem we're having. The ARB is not cooling enough because the battery isn't getting/staying fully charged. Granted, it's been overcast, but the battery seems to losing its charge way too fast. We're having to buy ice every day to keep it under 45. We'll have to have the battery tested when we get home, and perhaps replaced.

Back issues are making me jonesing to be home. Our plan was Shenandoah NP, Oriental NC, Barb & Tom, Shea Family, maybe Columbia SC for more Shea, but now it's an overnight in Shenandoah on the way to Oriental, and then Neptune Beach. And doctor appointments and medicine refills.

Dinner was leftovers from Josh and Jeanette, and so good. The campground is mostly full of NASCAR fans, it would be cool to see the weekend's races, maybe another year.

New York pictures are at https://photos.app.goo.gl/LwFYLi2DjvGCygS29