Shakedown Cruise Tomorrow

It's been 14 months since we have used the Airstream so it's no wonder that I have been dealing with glitch after glitch with the rig and our gear.  I got the furniture and the systems running and about everything inside cleaned up.  There was a lot of grime from the polishing of the aluminum and the floor was filthy from all the traveling in and out with work boots.

It just takes patience.  I found some gas pipes hanging a little loose underneath, and then noticed a nut missing off a bolt holding a pad on to its leg.

When I got our gear ready, my bike was in need of a little TLC and lubrication.  The tires were low and when I found my good bike pump, the hole had been plugged with a mud dauber -- no big deal.  The fancy security cable for the kayaks had apparently been run over at some point - so kiss that baby goodbye.

I got hitched up this evening and tested the lights again (we just did it several weeks ago) and one turn signal was dead.  I changed the bulb -- same thing.  A little scraping of the contacts got it going fine.

So, we will attend church tomorrow -- it is the last Sunday this Spring for formal choir -- and finish heading out mid-day tomorrow.  We have reservations at Ricker Pond State Park -- a very small park with just a few RV sites -- about an hour and a half away in Groton.  Thunderstorms are predicted so it may be an interesting journey -- but we have plenty of time and no schedule.  It will be nice to get the boats out and do some paddling although I did get out yesterday for some birding by kayak.

There's definitely no wifi and likely no 4G signal but we'll survive.  Mary has downloaded two new books for her Kindle and I am bringing a thick book that I picked up at the library.  A real book - what a concept.  We'll let you know how we did when we return next week.

Just a about ready to go.  Can you see the two or three items not ready for the road?  (The roof vents are open, the step is down, and the radio antenna, which you can barely see, needs to be stowed.)

Shakedown Cruise

After several months of repairs to the underside of the Airstream damaged last winter in our dramatic arrival  (belly wrap aluminum sections, plastic bannana wraps on front and back, and the replacement of the steps and step light), we started cleaning the inside.  I won’t mention the condition of the refrigerator.

Loaded up and ready to go camping

Having made reservations over at Groton State Park’s Stillwater Campground, we hooked up and launched Tuesday mid-day and gingerly worked our way down the driveway and road.  The trip is only about an hour and the traffic was light.

Vermont parks don’t have electric or water services and seem to be more set up for tent and lean-to campers.  The sites are generally pretty small and close together.  However, we chose an empty site which was spacious and being mid-week and before the major family camping season, was pretty isolated.  It even was level.

It felt good to settle into the routines of the Airstream even though the temperature was in the 80’s -- quite hot for Vermont.  We got the kayaks set up and went for a short paddle before supper.  Groton Pond is dark from tannic acid and lined with camps -- it’s crazy on the weekends with a lot of boats on a small body of water.

We opted for a movie on the computer instead of a campfire Tuesday night.  Everything on the camper worked fine although the noisy water pump could use some muffling.  We checked out the campground showers (two quarters for four minutes) and rated them excellent.  In fact, the overall appearance and cleanliness of the restrooms, the sites, and all facilities was exemplary -- the staff and volunteers do a great job.

Wednesday was cold in the morning -- 49 degrees or so -- and I lit off the propane heater for a while.  I got an early morning paddle in -- freezing my hands -- and later took the dog for a long run alongside the bike.

Rain later in the day cancelled any campfire plans but we were snug in the ‘stream and glad to be in such a beautiful setting.  We decided to pack up the next morning and head home a bit early since the weather forecast was not good.  Another easy trip and except for dragging the back bumper on the driveway turn (another repair job), it was excellent. 

All in all, a successful re-entry after months of letting the Airstream sit.  It’s nice to have it ready to go as we look at the rest of the summer.  We also need to start thinking about winter travel for 2011-2012.  Stay tuned.

Lake Carmi State Park

We just spent several days at Lake Carmi State Park in northern Vermont and got to experience summer camping - with all the warts as well as the positives. We had reserved site 16, one of the nicest ones along the lake, and found it a challenge to enter with our 25' Airstream. We ended up heading down the one-way road the wrong way so that we could angle into the lot.

The weather was muggy and the first day/night was pretty noisy and smoky. Of course, everyone has to have a fire and the combination of charcoal lighter and wood smoke and country music made me wonder why folks bother to come to a beautiful site -- but to each his own.

The lake is shallow and has a mucky bottom so the swimming areas are great for kids but not much for adults who swim. This was the first days after school let out so kids were everywhere -- and enjoying themselves. It's a good park for kids -- very light traffic and safe swimming sans lifeguards.

Vermont state parks are not set up for rvs with lots of leanto sites and many tent arrangements. There were a few dozen rigs but many of the sites could handle only small units. No Vermont parks have hookups. In the case of Lake Carmi, even the dump station seems like an afterthought. It's on the right side of the road which means, when leaving, you have to turn around and back up to use it.

There were a number of sites with a conglomeration of tents and popups and three of four carloads of people -- generating a lot of noise and seemingly there for the summer. It was a lot different from camping in the winter in warmer climes where you tend to get quieter couples (such as us.) The kids amused themselves at night by shiny flashlights on our silver Airstream, stirring up the dog big time. It reminded us of the stuff we'd be likely to do when we were kids.

The birding was great -- lots of yellow warblers, American redstarts, and other warblers. The park has some lovely features and has one pet-free camping area (what's up with that?) and many forested sites that are hardly used and thus pretty private.

We plan to go back -- probably in the Fall after school starts. With less activity, it will be a great place to kayak and bird.

photo courtesy of Vermont State Parks

Unplugged

With a new battery hooked up and ready to go, we hooked up the Airstream and headed out to Stillwater campground on Lake Groton. It’s a Vermont state park with no hook-ups (like all Vermont state parks) so we are “boondocking” for the first time. And right now, we have 115 amp-hour battery and no supplemental systems like solar or a generator so it’s “watch the amps” time.

This is the last week that state campgrounds operate in Vermont and with school now in session, there are just a handful of campers here. We like it that way -- and it is one of the benefits of being semi-retired -- we can go mid-week and late in the season.

The site we reserved (#53) is nice -- level and relatively secluded -- and just a few hundred yards from the nice beach. The back-in process was the best so far -- perhaps I’m getting better with experience. After setting up, I walked the dog, checking out the other sites, and took a short bracing swim in the September water.

In addition to no hookups, there's no cell phone coverage (or 3G for the iPhone) and no wifi anywhere near. So it's the first time we've been "unplugged" for a long while and it's quite nice. We know we can drive about seven miles and pick up a cellphone signal (one short stretch on Route 2 where people pull off to call.) Instead of telemarketers calling all evening (in spite of Do Not Call), we hear loons and cicadas.

We've needed the gas furnace in the morning to take the chill off -- it's been in the 40's overnight -- and the gas-run appliances are running fine. I decided to use some fresh Vermont blueberries for muffins, trying out the gas oven for the first time. I used a Bisquick recipe off the web that was very simple but the muffins, while tasting great, were flat as pancakes. I blamed it on the oven setting until later, Mary checked the box and found that it said "Best if used by October, 2004. Guess I should have preflighted our pantry ingredients a little better.

We got the awning out for the first time yesterday and it looks in great shape. I've used the Springer system to exercise the Vizsla and Mary and I took a short bike ride on the old Montpelier-Wells River Rail Trail yesterday. The weather is spectacular and the forecast is good. Email and blogs can wait, it's time to get outside and enjoy this beautiful setting. I'd recommend it for your travel plans next season. Reserve well ahead -- these parks fill up fast during the summer.

Above are some shots I took yesterday morning with the iPhone on an easy morning walk with the dog. It's neat to watch the fog burn off on these pretty September mornings. Safe traveling.

P.S. We made it 3 days with no battery problems. I suggest sites 53, 63, 41, or 14 if you're planning to make reservations for next season. Here's a map of the park layout.