09/25 - 10/01 - Croton Point Park

 

Rix comes to say good-bye.

Anticipating the early morning rain, I packed everything away leaving only the electrical connection to be pulled the next morning. As I sat relaxing, who should appear at my door but my next door friend; my friend forever, Rix. Silent and untethered, he wandered to my site obviously looking for a treat (which he received). His owner was right there soon after to bring him back "home." I never heard him bark; he's an amazing dog.

 

I left Searsport, Maine at 8:00 am relieved that the skies were grey, overcast and dismal. The pitter patter of rain about 5 am gave me some worry as to what kind of driving conditions I would encounter on my trip to Brattleboro, Vermont. Fortunately, the rain stopped after twenty minutes. My arrival at the Brattleboro KOA at 2:00 pm ended the six hour, 280 mile drive. A stop for brunch and TWO stops for fuel added to the time. I keep gas credit cards for all the major distributors not knowing which I'll encounter in my travels. At the pump, it was nice reading that my "reward" was a reduction in the price per gallon of 10¢. Overall, the journey was dreary, dismal, and drizzly with overcast skies. Speeds were kept to speed limits but the drive through Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, as always, was scenic and pleasant. Many times the roadway followed the curved path of the Connecticut River rapidly flowing like a creek or small mountain stream running parallel to the highway. Today, I saw the first signs of leaf changing colors which are about to claim its season.

C-34 was to be my little corner of the world for tonight

A tent was set up in the lean-to behind
me; the couple's unoccupied
parking spot is to the right.

Tomorrow I'll return to Croton Point Park three hours and 181 miles away and busy myself back at my apartment to catch up with laundry and printing. Just two weeks left of my RV season.  I stopped at the Flamingo Diner in Brattleboro for a real breakfast that held me over nicely till dinner around 6:00 pm. 

Compared to the day before, the ride to CPP was near perfect (except for I-84 through Connecticut). I'm talking about the day, not the traffic. Sunshine all the way with the temperature at 75° when I arrived at CPP at 1:30. I relieved Vicki and George on site 50 of my caddie and headed back to my apartment and accomplished my tasks...one of which was to check my weight. Since my last 'weigh-in', I lost another 1.1 lbs. bringing the total to 33. With my remaining time at CPP, I tried to squeeze as much in as I could; a visit with my mom in Fishkill, shopping, a doctor's appointment and dining with friends and neighbors.

Monday - I took friends, Jaycee and Pete to Dee Dee's Diner in Ossining. Beside the delicious specials of the day, their menu is as extensive as I've ever seen for a diner. If you're into diners, do check out the variety of choices on their website. Come June and September of next year, I'll be suggesting the Hudson Islands enjoy a breakfast, lunch or dinner at this restaurant less than five miles away.

A special appetizer

Tuesday - was neighbor Jack's long awaited promised sushi dinner at Sakura Garden in Hasting, NY. . After numerous cancellations, I was able to squeeze the trip into my schedule. As always, a trip and a special sushi roll at Sakura is always worth the wait. Jack enjoyed the Hastings Roll: Shrimp tempura and lobster salad topped with spicy tuna and avocado with four kinds of tobiko. For me, I was once again eager to see what Evan, one of the three sushi chefs, would "create" for me off the menu. He's been doing this for me for years and has never duplicated the combination of flavors of this edible art. This night a video would be worth a few words. For sure, it was topped with mango.

     

Wednesday - Another squeezed in promised dinner...yes again sushi and again at Sakura but this time, a different theme. I treated three neighbors, Diane, Elaine and Diane to a "thank you" dinner at Sakura. Be it driving me back and forth to pick up or drop off Winnie from storage in Cross River, NY, or hosting dinner get-togethers in their apartments to picking up my mail and watering my plant while traveling, these ladies extended themselves thus making my life easier with less worry. As they'll tell you, "That's what neighbors are for." All sushi lovers, a dining experience at my favorite sushi restaurant was my way of thanking them and wishing Diane W a Pre-Happy Birthday October 1st.  

l. to r. Diane F, Elaine, Diane W, and Lucky Me
Note Evan's "creation" for me in the foreground

Edible Art we enjoyed

Diane F's Sushi Deluxe

Charlie's Evan Roll

Diane W's Hastings Roll

Green Tea, Mango and Vanilla Mochi
for dessert to end our great evening.

And it all comes to an end....for this week anyway. The last hurrah awaits me as I pack it all up and take off Friday morning, October 1st. Happy Birthday, Diane. My last blog for the 2021 will be written in Greenfield Park, NY. No one knows where the heck this place is. It's a hamlet in Ulster County about 75 miles from CPP and should take me about 90 minutes to get there. Ellenville, New Paltz and Saugerties are more familiar name in the area you may recognize. To the best of my knowledge, I'll be joined by nine other members of the Hudson Islanders for our last rally of the season.

I'll probably include my Winter Itinerary for 2022 which is set in stone as deposits have been paid on long term stays and full payments paid for the many overnight stays as I travel south through Florida and back home by way of Texas. I'm looking forward to that adventure.  So stay tuned for the Last Hurrah. Till then take care, stay well and be happy.

09/17 - 09/24 - Searsport Shores Ocean Campground

234 miles took about 6 hours with a couple of stops

In my last blog I mentioned low tire pressure observed in my rear tire. With Tony's generous outreach of tools and time, he determined tire pressure was at 40 lbs vs. the required 60 and rectified the situation. Does properly inflated tires affect gas mileage? I went back into my records for every fill-up where I keep cost, price/gallon and miles per gallon. Since June (7 fill-ups), I averaged 13.65 miles per gallon (diesel). My last fill up showed I averaged 15.62 mpg. Yes, there are many variables that enter into the calculations but as a new benchmark, I'll continue to monitor it.

My site #11 is along the back row of "Premium" sites that have the Bay
to the rear of the back-in sites.

My view for the week
(at low tide)

The 20 minute trip between to visit me.
Thank you John & Barb for extending
yourselves. Opposite J&B is Islesboro Island.
Opposite me is Sears Island

This year marks the eighth year I've ventured to this part of Maine, the furthest north of all my travels and only the second time I've stayed here at Searsport Shores Ocean Campground. My first trip with Winnie I was in September, 2014. Every year since, I've made the trip to visit my cousin John and wife, Barbara. Their home base is in Medfield, MA but their summer cottage is in Northport, ME, also overlooking Penobscot Bay. This 40-acre oceanfront campground is about two miles further east of Moorings Oceanfront RV Resort where I've spent six of those years. To appreciate the offerings here at the campground, this VIDEO is a tour by owner, Steve Tanguay. His use of the bounties of nature, both land and sea, includes the use of seaweed, food waste from his cookouts in composting. He's knowledgeable, informative and impressive. A former teacher, he's turned that knowledge to many educational activities here at the campground.  The video is a look at ecology and recycling at is best. 

Some views around site 11.

Panned at low tide

Campground packed and Premium sites close together
with no sewers.

On my first night after setting up John and Barb welcomed me with dinner from our favorite Thai restaurant, Rice & Noodle down the road.

Ready for my visitors

Ready for dinner. Sorry no food photos.
I had "mild" Orange Chicken and brown rice.

After dinner, a small enclosure provided warmth from the campfire
as the night chill approached. No, it wasn't a Jack-Fire.

Here are more detailed views at low tide of this part of Penobscot Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Maine. The Atlantic Ocean is some 20 miles further south. 

The Penobscot River and the Bay are named for the Penobscot Indian Nation, which has continuously inhabited the area for more than ten thousand years.

Facing east toward Sears Island

Southeast toward Islesboro Island

Northeast

North toward Cape Jellison

Differences between tides

        

At high tide the water can be seen crystal clear to a depth of at 18".

Barge anchored in the Oil Transfer Zone
in the channel...

...as was this tanker.
Both were gone on the tide Sunday morning.

This heron resting on kelp cover rocks at low tide...

...took off flew in a huge circle only to return and land in
the same area. Without my adding the contrast, it blended
nicely camouflaged with the exposed shoreline.

Resting gulls

Anticipating the Harvest Full Moon rising about 7:00 pm here in
Searsport, I set up my telescope and enjoyed a 2.5 mile view along
the shoreline of Sears Island.

With clear skies, we were not disappointed.

For me these trips bring wonderful memories. And, in keeping with the purpose of my writing blogs, I've included links (for me) that take me back seven years to my first trip here to Searsport Shores. At that time, a hike in Acadia National Park was part of the experience. Glad it was done then cause it ain't gonna be done again. The photos with captions for that hike are in THIS LINK. 

THIS LINK describes the first night back in 2014. Other blogs written at that time include: September 4th John & Barb to dinner, September 5th  and finally, the end of a great week

Whitey enjoying daddy's lap

Saturday night I enjoyed dinner at their Northport cottage. Barbara prepared her homemade lasagna, meatballs and salad. The Mark West Pinot Noir was a perfect pairing. Her apple crisp with a dollop of vanilla ice cream topped off the evening. Everything EXCELLENT!! Sorry, no food photos.

Monday night it was back to my campsite for dinner consisting of mini-quiche appetizers, crock pot pulled pork sliders made with Jack Daniel's Tennessee whiskey BBQ sauce, and Barb's apple crisp for dessert. Sorry, no food photos

Tuesday night was a 55 minutes drive around Penobscot Bay to Brooksville and home of Tinder Hearth, home of wood-fired bread and pizza. You can read their story HERE. The long ride was well worth it. As evening set in, I anticipated an uncomfortable chilly night with outdoor dining and that my quilted shirt wouldn't be enough. Not so. Perhaps it was being inland a bit away from the Bay, but the evening was very comfortable. Our table #24 was close to the old farmhouse in the middle of the lawn. Other tables and patrons disappeared back into the fields of the former farmland. 

We arrived and the line had already formed for patrons and their reserved time slot. 

The enclosure where drinks were purchased and which housed....

...the original outdoor, homemade,
wood-burning cob oven

After parking, the approach to many buildings sprawled hints at the extent of the renovations going on that have included a new kitchen with modern bread baking ovens. The older, original ovens are used for pizza making. No doubt there'll be an indoor dining area in addition to the outdoor area. Perhaps our trip here next year will tell the tale. 

When visiting Maine one gets the "feeling" of Maine, not so much an attitude but a real "feeling." It's real, it's different, it's relaxing and one gets easily wrapped up in it with no regrets or hesitation about leaving and shedding the life style you've become accustomed to. The people and the concepts that are uniquely Maine are evident everywhere; in the shops, art galleries, antique shops and restaurants. 

  

With pepperoni

Plain cheese

The end result of our very enjoyable evening were wood-fired pizzas done to perfection; thin crusts, fresh and flavorful tomato sauce and just the right amount of mozzarella cheese. 

Our travels Wednesday afternoon took us to lunch in Bucksport, to the Friars' Brewhouse Taproom. This twenty-five minute ride to Bucksport is another one of our "go-to" dining places. Our lunch selections photos are for food lovers only: And, we left with lunches/dinners for days to come.

John had today's special: The Legendary Friars' Banh Mi.
Ingredients listed above.

..

Barb had the Combo meal: Fort Knox and fresh tomato bisque:
Roast Beef, Imported Swiss, Mixed Greens, Tomato, Horseradish Sauce
on a freshly baked baguette.

I had the same as last year, Oven-Baked Lobster Mac & Cheese.
When presented, the waitress warned, "Be careful, it's hot."

Hot it was.  
Respecting molten lava, I patiently waited the first bite without
the need of protective Hazmat clothing.
A third went home for lunch tomorrow.

To conclude this year's adventure into Maine, I'm including other random photos taken for my memories of yet another memorable RV season.

Ominous clouds drifted in from the northwest over Northport
while I was visiting John and Barb for dinner. With a
few rumbles of thunder, it passed over and left with brief periods of showers.

This beautiful beast of my neighbor behind me never barked
once in the time I was here. One afternoon while having....

...lunch on my "patio", he appeared at my side and nuzzled me.
With not a sound, he scared da hell outta me.
With an ever present milk bone treat in my pocket...

.

...I made another friend forever. Unless I run into his owner, a
single lady from West Virginia, and get his name before I leave Friday,
I'll never know. "Brutus" first came to mind but look at that face; he's a pussycat.

Experimenting with the macro abilities of my Canon G7.
The Asian Lady Beetle on the railing.

Asian Lady Beetle (Larva)

From the Internet

Neighbor on the other side of me but for a few days
drove this converted mini-bus and traveled solo with twin
toddlers and a pug.

Exploring at low tide

Stairs leading down to shore access, kayak launching and
oceanfront tent camping.

I've reserved this site, paid my deposit and have scheduled Searsport Shores for August 26 through September 2, 2022, my ninth year visiting Maine. It will be on my way home from two Hudson Islanders get-togethers in Freeport and Bar Harbor next year. I hope you've enjoyed my trip. Comments below are welcome. Remember to check back after making them to see my responses. And, PS, I already know your food comments.

Take care, stay safe and after an overnight in Brattleboro, VT, I'll see you in CPP.