Weird Job Opportunity!!

July 3, 2016

San Diego, CA

Actual screen shot of the job posting

Since retiring from my career as a commercial photographer, and then retiring from my next career as a personal trainer, I frequently peruse Craigs List looking for other jobs from which I might one day retire.

This one definitely caught my eye. It had “AMAZING OPPORTUNITY” written all over it!

Drive my dog and I around

Ok so I guess I should explain. I know there are dog walkers.

I can walk my own dog.

I do not drive, and he LOVES car rides

compensation $20

I would have jumped all over this, except that the job is in Oceanside, and that’s just too far away from where I live. All that driving would’ve eaten into my profits.

But, had this job opening been in my ‘hood, I’d be doin’ it, baby! I love dogs, and I have a car, and I’m cool with having dogs in my car. I’m sure I could have come up with a very professional looking resume to show off all of these qualifications and then some (my car is clean, my car stereo is pretty good, I never speed, I always come to a complete stop at stop signs, I always keep a doggie water bowl in my car).

I’m pretty sure this is legit. I mean, you just can’t make up stuff like this, right? Unless “Drive my dog and I around” is code for something else….hmmm……

And Then….A Dog Parade Broke Out!!!

Evening Glow. The tethered balloons fired up at night.

Day 118           October 5, 2014

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Sleep. Wake up. Watch hot air balloons. Repeat. Day #2 of low flying airplanes at 4:30 am, followed by hot air balloons…..or NOT!!

It’d been determined (by those silly airplanes) that the winds weren’t appropriate for the balloons to take off. Instead, the balloons were inflated, but remained tethered to the ground. Still, it was fun to walk amongst all of the balloons on display.

In the afternoon, we drove into Old Town Albuquerque to have a look around and get a bite to eat. Old Town was uber touristy, but we didn’t care. As long as I can get some decent Mexican food and ice-cream, I’m a happy camper.

Beautiful old church in Old Town

We found some cool, fun, old architecture around Albuquerque

The highlight of the day was really one of my own creations. I’d convinced the powers that be (the organizers of the Airstream rally, and it didn’t take much convincing) that we Airstreamers should have a dog parade while we were at the Balloon Fiesta. And so, on this day, at 4:00 in the afternoon, all of us dog lovers and our fun-loving doggies, gathered in order to parade around amongst the Airstream trailers and motorhomes.

The fantastic, fabulous, fun-filled doggie parade!!!

A grand time was had by all. Some of the doggies were dressed up, and some weren’t. Some pups and their people were dog parade first timers, and I was happy and proud to introduce these people to the world of dog parades. Others of us (mostly Californians) were seasoned dog parade participants.

Dax. Post-dog parade. Dirty and downright dog-tired.

The parade was a big hit, and I’m happy to say that there’s been talk of making it an annual event for the Airstream rally at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta! Thank you very much, me!

Evening Glow

Evening Glow

Evening Glow

Evening Glow

Evening Glow.

Evening Glow

Free Food At The Mercedes Benz Dealer!!!

@ KOA in Townsend, Tennessee

Day 105       September 22, 2014

Wytheville, Virginia  to  Townsend, Tennessee

The morning, once again, went to the dogs. Our campground had a huge fenced in doggie play area. Trixie and Dax had it all to themselves. Oh the joys of chasing a tennis ball! There was a lot of driving to be done today, so after doggie play time, we got on the road.

Heading south on Rt 81

Hello Tennessee!

The Space Shuttle was due for a scheduled service appointment. I had found a Mercedes Benz dealer in Knoxville, Tennessee that was able to do our service in the afternoon, so Knoxville was our target.

The peeps at the dealership were super nice, and they had a finely stocked customer lounge. While Fiona was getting serviced, I feasted on freebies…mini Peppermint Patties, cookies, coffee, other miscellaneous candies. They also had a fabulous wifi connection, so I was able to get a few blog posts up and running. And, as usual, Trixie and Dax got lots and lots of attention from the employees and from the other customers.

As far as service appointments go, this was a pretty nice one! The only disappointment was that, ‘cause the service was completed so late in the work day, they didn’t have time to give Fiona a bath. Damn!

We docked for the night at the KOA in Townsend, Tennessee, right next to the Great Smoky Mountains. We’d have to wait until the next day to have a look around!

@ KOA in Townsend, Tennessee

Nice campsite, right next to the river

Sticky Green Thingies, A Civil War Battlefield, And A Broken Heart

Breakfast in New Market!

Day 104         September 21, 2014

Luray to Wytheville,  Virginia

I wish Jim had warned us, but he hadn’t. And so, we found out on our own, that there’s a lot of grassy sticky stuff in the landscape around his house….grassy sticky stuff that sticks to dogs like glue. And although it didn’t take but about a nanosecond before Trixie and Dax were covered in this crap, it took us a good 20 minutes to get the shit off of them.

Trixie, with all that sticky shit on her. Not a happy camper. Wouldn’t stand still for a photo.

Once the doggies were cleaned up, we all drove to New Market to have breakfast at the Southern Kitchen.

Breakfast in New Market!

Southern Kitchen, just like the sign says

Classic breakfast joint

And then we visited the New Market Civil War Battlefield. I grew up in Virginia, so I kind of hit overload on Civil War battlefields a long time ago. But, I’d never been to this one before, and it was scenic and had an interesting story behind it. Plus, the dogs were allowed on the battlefield, so they had a nice walk too…without a bunch of sticky green grassy shit attacking them!

@ New Market Battlefield State Historical Park

View of the valley from New Market Battlefield State Historical Park

@ New Market Battlefield State Historical Park

@ New Market Battlefield State Historical Park

@ New Market Battlefield State Historical Park

Once we said goodbye to Jim, he headed back home, and we headed down to Harrisonburg, home of James Madison University. I’d graduated from JMU, and hadn’t been back there in 30 years. I knew the campus had changed a lot over the years, but it was still pretty shocking to see the growth of the campus and of the town.

H-Burg!

One of the newer buildings @ JMU

My old dorm

The Quad. Where is everyone? Back in my day, this place would be packed with kids playing frisbee, playing guitar, and blasting music from the dorm windows!

In all honesty, the “growth without soul” broke my heart a little bit. So, I went shopping to lift myself back up…shopping at the JMU bookstore for a new JMU sweatshirt.

With me rockin’ my new sweatshirt, we drove through the old part of downtown Harrisonburg. That part of town had changed as well, but not so much as to lose its character, and that was great to see.

I think this is where the old HoJo’s used to be. ??

Downtown Harrisonburg

L&S Diner!! Still going after all these years!!

When we left town and headed south on Rt 81, I wondered if I’d ever be back….maybe in another 30 years!

Goodbye, Harrisonburg…

Beautiful sunset as we head south on Rt 81

We drove until it got dark, and then spent the night at the Wytheville KOA , where we virtually had the place to ourselves.

The Day That Went To The Dogs!

Mark and Dax hike up a steep, narrow street in Old Quebec City

Day 97    September 14, 2014

Quebec City, Quebec

Canada

Lucky for us, French Canadians love dogs, and dogs are allowed on the passenger ferries that cross the river into Quebec City. So Dax and Trixie would be hangin’ with us in the big city today!

Taking the ferry to Old Quebec City

Mark and I, and Dax and Trixie spent all day wandering around Old Quebec. There was one downside to having the pups with us. It was really cold outside, and although we’d have loved to been able to sit inside and eat lunch in a nice warm bistro, we couldn’t. The French Canadians don’t love dogs that much. So we ate lunch outside in the cold. That’s what coffee’s for…to warm up. So we drank a lot of coffee.

Old Quebec City

Old Quebec City

Old Quebec City

Old Quebec City

Interesting architecture in Old Quebec City

A lot of tourists in Old Quebec City

Old Quebec City

After lunch, Dax and Trixie met a very nice Irish Wolfhound, who was touring the city with her people. Her name was Harriet. She was spectacular! The biggest Irish Wolfhound I’d ever seen!

I started thinking that maybe Harriet the Irish Wolfhound, was my mom, Harriet Cohen, reincarnated. My mom wasn’t particularly fond of dogs, so this would kind of make sense that she’d have to come back as a regal and beautiful dog…ya know, to gain a love and appreciation for dogs! At least, I think that’s how it works.

When we were thoroughly worn out from the cold and from so much walking around, we took the ferry back to the other side of the river. Dax was being Mr. Congeniality on the ferry. He was smiling at everyone, getting lots of pets, and giving lots of kisses. He was pretty much the center of attention on that ferry ride! Trixie ignored everyone, as usual, and just searched for scraps of food on the ground.

Later that evening, we drove back into the city to have dinner. We easily were able to park the Space Shuttle just a couple blocks outside of Old Quebec. And we were able to go out to dinner, without the dogs, to enjoy a little French Canadian cuisine. Or, as we dubbed it, Cuinadian!

I tried to order in French. I have no idea what actually came out of my mouth when I spoke. But the waitress appreciated my attempt, had a good laugh with us about it, and brought me what I ordered!  Cie la Vie!

I got what I ordered!

In Dax We Trust! When Dogs Are Smarter Than People!

Sittin’ on the dock of the bay, waitin’ for the tide to come this way…

Day 95        September 12, 2014        part 1

Antigonish, Nova Scotia  to Somewhere in New Brunswick

Canada

In a reversal of our previous decision to skip it, we decided after all, to go to the Shubenacadie River, in Truro, to see the “reversing falls.” With extraordinary 40+ foot tides in the Bay of Fundy, when the tides change, the direction of the flow of the water on the Shubenacadie also changes. The term “falls” is completely misleading, but the phenomenon is still cool to witness.

Our timing was perfect (dumb luck), and we arrived at the interpretive center 20 minutes before the tide change. We were instructed to drive ten minutes up the road to Maitlin, and to watch from the pier.

Pastoral beauty on the river’s edge in Maitlin

Mark and I and the doggies, and ten other tourists, gathered on the Maitlin pier, waiting for the tidal change  It was a friendly bunch and we had a good time talking with everyone. Dax and Trixie were extremely popular with this group as well. I guess everyone else was missing their doggies back home.

Sittin’ on the dock of the bay, waitin’ for the tide to come this way…

Yes, the riverbed IS really this red!

Coastline in Maitlin

High tide was scheduled for 12:55. I know these things aren’t exact, but there we all were, just waiting for the big moment to happen. We weren’t even really sure what was gonna happen, just that we wanted to see it, whatever it was.

Surely something special was gonna happen, ‘cause otherwise all of these crazy kayakers wouldn’t be trying to drag their kayaks through the filthy red mud to get to the tiny bit of water that was currently in the river. That in itself was a hilarious sight to see!

Crazy kayaker trying to get out into the middle of the river without actually touching any of the red messy mud.

Misery loves company.

This guy’s gonna do it standing up!

Once in a while, we’d have a false alarm. Someone would think they heard something or saw the water rising. But no, nothing was happening.

It’d been twenty minutes since the tide was supposed to change, when suddenly, Dax stands up, faces down river, and starts barking like crazy. Well damn! Wouldn’t ya know it, as we all looked up to see what he was barking at, we could see the water heading towards us, up the river in the reverse direction!

And that is how we discovered Dax’s hidden talent! Apparently, he has an uncanny ability to predict tidal changes! The crowd on the peer hooted, hollered, laughed, and applauded Dax! For just those few moments in time, he was a Superhero!!

The reversing falls was pretty fun to see. Suddenly, the almost completely dry river bed turned into a very wet river flowing in the opposite direction, and the water level was rising so fast you could see it. And the kayakers then had little rapids to run!

We hustled back to the interpretive center, where there was a platform viewing area high above the river’s edge. This was an even more dramatic view where we were able to watch the river rise 40’ in 15 minutes. That’s a lot of agua!!

Finally, some water in the middle of the river

Low water

Same view. Higher water.

Still some dry spots in the middle

No more dry spots in the middle

Tourists in motorized rafts ride the rapids!

So much water rushing in!

So yes, it was worth the detour to Truro. We got to witness the power of nature that day. But even better, we got to discover the Superhero that is Dax!

Another Day, Another Brewery? Maybe, Maybe Not!

Following Mark and Dax on the hike up to Signal Hill

Day 88     September 5, 2014

St. John’s, Newfoundland

Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Since arriving in St. John’s the day before, we’d already sampled some local Quidi Vidi beers. However, we hadn’t yet actually visited the nearby village of Quidi Vidi, or the Quidi Vidi Brewing Company. That was Priority #1.

Had we been warned, we’d have parked outside of the little village and walked the rest of the way. But, we hadn’t been warned, and we drove right into the village. Not so smart. The streets were super narrow, winding, and hilly. A test of our driving skills and of our patience. We almost got stuck at the end of a street with almost no way to turn around….almost.

Quidi Vidi

Quidi Vidi

Quidi Vidi

We checked out the Quidi Vidi brewery, hoping to get a tour and have lunch. Unfortunately though, they don’t serve food. Even though it’d mean missing the brewery tour, we were way too hungry to stick around, so we moved on.

We found lunch and beers at the Inn of Olde. And by “lunch,” I mean, soup, ‘cause that’s all they served. Not one of our finer meals, but you couldn’t beat the atmosphere. This place was kind of a trippy pub with all kinds of crazy crap and memorabilia hanging  on every square inch of the ceiling and walls.

Inn of Olde

Front door to Inn of Olde

Mark  @ Inn of Olde

Inn of Olde

Inn of Olde

Old church that’s now a private residence. Quidi Vidi

After a good walk-a-bout the village, and satisfied that we’d “done” Quidi Vidi, we left and drove to the Johnson Geo Centre. The Geo Centre was a cool place. It’s basically a museum built underground, dedicated to geology. Hard to believe, since I almost failed geology 101 in college, but, I loved this place! There were movies, and interactive exhibits, and, just fun shit!

Johnson Geo Centre

When the centre closed for the day, we retrieved the pups from the space shuttle, and went for a little walk across the street. But first we had to pose the pups in front of the big dog statues in front of the Geo Centre. One of the statues was a Newfoundland dog, and the other statue was a Labrador Retriever. We hadn’t thought about this before, but this far away Province had two namesake dogs! Impressive!

The Newfie, the Lab, the Trixie, and the Dax

What started out as a short dog walk, turned into an epic hike. We had inadvertently found ourselves on this cool hiking path that wound around a little village by the harbor, around the sometimes precarious hillside, and all the way up the backside and up to Signal Hill. It was magnificent!!

Beginning of our epic hike

On the hike up to Signal Hill

On the hike up to Signal Hill

On the hike up to Signal Hill

On the hike up to Signal Hill

Following Mark and Dax on the hike up to Signal Hill

Looking back at the path we’d hiked up on.

We finished off the day with dinner at Tavola, on Water Street. Sweet potato soup, salad, ravioli, and some sissy pink lemonade spritzers that were oh so delicious! Great end to a great day!

Ravioli @ Tavola

Pink Lemonade Spritzers. Not just for sissies!

At Last, A Blog Post With Some Educational Info

Landscape @ the visitor center

Day 79       August 27, 2014          

Nova Scotia to Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

We were catching the ferry to Newfoundland today.

Here’s a quick geography lesson. Newfoundland is an island. It’s part of the Canadian province called “Newfoundland and Labrador.” Labrador is the land mass (not an island) east of the Province of Quebec. The Province of Newfoundland and Labrador is made up of Newfoundland….and of Labrador. Make sense?

And one more thing, the pronunciations. The accent is on the last syllable of each of these names. NewfoundLAND, LabraDOR. It’s kind of odd and took a while to get used to it, but hey, if you’re gonna go there and talk to anyone while you’re there, you should at least learn how to pronounce the name of the place.

Moving on….we had our ferry reservation, and we arrived the required two hours prior to sailing. This meant a lot of “hanging around” time at the ferry terminal.

Fiona, in line to board the ferry

Somebody’s house is also in line to board the ferry

The two hours passed surprisingly quickly. Upon check in, the staff measure your rig from the very tip to the very toe. Fiona was 27’ long from the front to the back end of the bike rack. To be even more exact, Fiona was $258 CDN long!

The rest of that time “hanging around” was spent walking the dogs, and talking to all the other hanger-arounders. We met a bunch of nice people, including other RV-ers, other dog owners, and a truck driver from Newfoundland who was bringing home a little corgi puppy to his kids!

We finally loaded onto the ferry. While Mark was finishing up inside the rig, getting the doggies comfortable, one of the crew was nice enough to snap a photo of me next to the rig.

Into the belly of the beast

On the ferry!

This would be a six hour ferry crossing. The dogs had to stay in the RV, and we weren’t allowed to check on them. Access to the vehicle decks was strictly prohibited. Really, all we could do was set up their water bowl, and open up some windows, turn on the roof ventilation fan, and then try not to worry about them.

Our crossing was nice and smooth, for which I was quite thankful. I’d heard that it could go either way.

Leaving Sydney, Nova Scotia

Taking photos on the ferry

Beautiful seas

Good bye, Nova Scotia

The shadow versions of Mark and me

Before we knew it, we arrived in Port aux Basque, Newfoundland.

Arriving in Newfoundland

Arriving in Newfoundland

Arriving in Port aux Basque, Newfoundland

The trucks unload off the boat first

Yep, we’re here!

We stopped at the visitor center to pick up a bunch of info and a map. Not that you can get lost, as there’s pretty much only one road around most of the island. But it was helpful to see where everything was.

Landscape @ the visitor center

It’d been a long day and we were tired, so we stopped for the night at nearby J.T. Cheeseman Provincial Park. I enjoyed an evening music jam session with Keith and Marilyn, a couple from Alberta that had also just come over on the ferry. Our visit to Newfoundland was already starting out with a bang!

Cape Breton: Booze, Beer, Beauty (And Fiddlers!)

@ Inverness Campground

Day 75   August 23, 2014    Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada

Another day, another morning dog walk. It rained like cats and dogs in the middle of the night, but the morning was sunny and beautiful. Perfect celestial timing.

@ Hyclass Campground

We got an unusually early start on the drive up to Cape Breton. Good thing, ‘cause we arrived in Judique at the Celtic Music Interpretive Center just in time for the lunch time Ceilidh.

Celtic Music Interpretive Center

If you’re a fan of traditional music, this place is a “must” on your travels. We ate lunch while listening to the local, but world-class fiddle/piano duo, spent a good amount of time in the museum learning about the local music and musicians, took a mini video celtic dance lesson, bought celtic bracelets, and bought some amazing cd’s by Cape Breton musicians (world-famous Natalie MacMaster, and a group called Coig).

A typical Cape Breton combo…fiddle & piano.

Lunch. Fish tacos. Note to self…when you’re not in California, do not order fish tacos. Other folks just don’t know how to do them right.

Fun facts about Cape Breton fiddle music!

Our dance teacher. We were rockin’ it!

Post-lunch hike with the doggies

Post-lunch hike with the doggies

Post-lunch hike with the doggies

Post-lunch hike with the Mark & the doggies

On the drive north, we took a side road, which turned out to be a whole other adventure. The pavement eventually ended and we were stuck on a long, windy rough dirt and gravel road as it started to downpour. At some point, we decided we were too far in to turn back, so we just kept going.

Stuck on the long, winding, rough road

Fiona stops to pose for a portrait

The reward was beautiful views

Eventually we met up with the main paved road, and made our way to Mabou and to the famous Red Shoe Pub. We’d already eaten lunch at the Celtic Music Interpretive Center, but we ate lunch again anyway because we’d heard so much about this place. The extra calories were worth it, as we had what may have been the best meal so far on the whole trip! This place is famous for it’s live local music too, but unfortunately for us, that all takes place in the evenings. Food, beer, and ambience would have to do.

The Red Shoe Pub, in Mabou

The Red Shoe Pub, in Mabou

The Red Shoe Pub, in Mabou

Great food!

Great beer!

Now you know, we’re not afraid to eat two lunches in one day. Well, we’re also not afraid to drink at more than one sitting in a day. And so, up the road a bit, we had to make a stop at the Glenora Distillery in Glenville. Glenora Distillers is one of only two single malt Scottish-style distilleries in all of Canada. We got the tour. We got the free samples. We were happy!

Glenora Disillery

Glenora Disillery. They claim it’s that pristine water running through the property that makes their potion so magical.

Glenora Disillery

Glenora Disillery

@ Glenora Disillery. Sampling more product…priceless, but not free!

$25 CDN for this little baby

We stopped for the night up the road in Inverness, at the Inverness Campground. The campground was on the most gorgeous site, perched up on the gorgeous ocean bluffs. We hiked down to the beach with the dogs and let them have a much-needed off-leash run. OMG!! You’ve never seen such joy! Running, digging in the sand…doggie heaven! A great ending to a great day.

@ Inverness Campground

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@ Inverness Campground

Trixie & Dax running wild on the beach @ Inverness Campground

 

 

 

 

The beach @ @ Inverness Campground

Trixie & Dax running faster than the speed of light!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dax

Trixie

Cats vs Dogs…Showdown At Sunrise

The view from our campsite @ Northumberland Provincial Park Campground.

Day 69    August 17    Prince Edward Island, Canada

On this morning, we were greeted with a beautiful ocean view from our campsite. We were also greeted with the view of two cats on a leash at the campsite next to us. Pretty much a doggie nightmare situation, as far as Dax and Trixie were concerned, and we had to do a bit of coordinating with our neighbors, as far as when our dogs would be coming outside for their morning walk.

Breakfast. The dogs are still inside, ’cause the cats next door are still outside.

The cat vs dog situation was in control, and after our walk, we headed south.

On the road…

Lovely countryside.

Local maritime architecture near Georgetown….sea shacks.

Local maritime architecture near Georgetown.

Cool old abandoned church near Georgetown.

Cool old abandoned church near Georgetown.

Cool old abandoned church near Georgetown.

Made it to Georgetown for lunch and to visit a couple of tiny art galleries. Had an amazing lunch, which included a curried soup made with fresh clams and mussels. The seafood on PEI continued to “wow” us.

Georgetown!

Lunch time views….

Lunch on the deck, complete with beautiful water view.

The soup, the soup, it’s all about the curried soup!

The most awesome salad ever!

Tiny art gallery in Georgetown.

Continuing south, we attempted to get on the ferry to Nova Scotia, however, the ferry was already booked. Instead, we backtracked a few miles and checked into the Northumberland Provincial Park Campground, where we, once again, had a nice ocean view campsite. We’d try the ferry again in the morning.

We enjoyed a nice  bike ride around the park, before it began to rain. Perfect timing!

@ Northumberland Provincial Park Campground.

@ Northumberland Provincial Park Campground. Mark pauses to take in the view.

@ Northumberland Provincial Park Campground. 

We’ve Mastered The Art of “Dumb Luck!”

Officially @ Acadia National Park

Day 61        August 9

When your day starts out at a microbrewery, that is a great day. This day was a great day! Remember, when I say, “starting out” the day, I mean noon, ‘cause that’s just about the time we’re hittin’ our stride for the day.

The day started with no set plan. We commenced our wandering about Acadia National Park and the surrounding environs. I’m still not sure, without consulting a map, when we were actually inside of, or outside of Acadia, and it didn’t really matter.

When we saw the signs for the Atlantic Brewing Company, and Mainely Meat, right next to each other, we knew it was gonna be a spectacular day! Ends up that the two businesses are right there on one property, making for a one-stop lunch stop.

Lunch time!

Lunch @ Mainely Meat & the Atlantic Brewing Company

I liked my beer so much, that I went for a little swim in it.

We had a great lunch…fantastic pulled pork, and killer baked beans, along with a couple local brews. And then we hit the brewery shop for some take-out beers with which to restock our fridge.

So many beers to choose from!

Fully fueled, our next stop was Beech Mountain, where we picked one of several hiking trails, and just went for it…no map, no info, no clue…as usual. We happened to pick a fairly steep and extremely rocky path to the top. I was worried about the dogs being able to keep up, when, clearly, I should have been worried about me keeping up!

Starting our Beech Mountain hike.

Following the boys up Beech Mountain

After dragging all four of our butts to the top, we were richly rewarded with the most awesome of views!

@ the top of Beech Mountain

With our little bendable friends @ the top of Beech Mountain

@ the top of Beech Mountain

@ the water tower @ top of Beech Mountain

We soaked in the beauty, rested in the shade for a while, rehydrated, and then took a different way back down. This worked out great, as the path wasn’t as rocky or as steep, plus, we got to see completely different views. We certainly picked a fabulous hike!

The view on the way back down Beech Mountain

The view on the way back down Beech Mountain

The view on the way back down Beech Mountain

Enough hiking for one day. We hopped back in the Space Shuttle, and headed in some such direction as seemed interesting at the time. Not really sure how we picked our route. We ended up at Bass Harbor, in the town of Bernard. Bass Harbor seemed to be one big lobster fishing harbor. I’ve never seen so many lobster pots in my life!!

Bass Harbor

Bass Harbor

Bass Harbor

As luck would have it, Bass Harbor also had a lighthouse, the Bass Harbor Head Light. Somehow, all of our “winging it” had totally paid off today!

Bass Harbor Head Light

Bass Harbor Head Light

We completed the day by making another trip up Cadillac Mountain to view the sunset. This time we had no rain and no hail…just pure sun, turning into darkness.

Me, looking pretty dang serious, working on an Instagram @ Cadillac Mountain.

Sunset on Cadillac Mountain

Watching the sunset on Cadillac Mountain. It’s a spectator sport!

Sunset on Cadillac Mountain

Portrait of Dax @ sunset on Cadillac Mountain

Sunset on Cadillac Mountain

Fiona. Waiting to go down the mountain after watching the spectacular sunset on Cadillac Mountain.

And later that evening, the appropriate beer for the appropriate daily activities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dogs, A Lobster Shack, and A Brewery!! Woohooo!!

Dax, hanging out @ Marshall Wharf Brewing Company. Belfast, Maine

Day 58   August 6    Part 1

On our way north we couldn’t help but notice how so many of the houses had such beautiful garages and barns. Often they were nicer than the houses themselves. I wondered if they were all man-caves.

Made a short stop in Lincolnville to load up on caffeine at Green Tea Coffee. They roast their own coffee, and their selection of loose teas rivaled any big city tea shop I’ve ever seen. And, they had two very cute doggies hanging out inside the shop.

Green Tea Coffee

Coffee shop mascot

Hyped on caffeine, we continued north, and accidentally stumbled upon Camden State Park, and Mt Battie. Except for that it was a bit foggy, we were treated to some pretty freakin’ nice views. Dax and Trixie liked it up there, and were nice enough to pose for a bunch of portraits.

Observation tower @ Mt Battie

The view of Mark taking in the View from Mt Battie

View from Mt Battie

View from Mt Battie

Trixie looking quite regal @ Mt Battie

Dax, looking quite regal @ Mt Battie

Mark & Dax @ Mt Battie

Mark & Dax @ Mt Battie

And then, onward, to Belfast we went. Belfast was a cool little city-town. It was hip enough that I thought maybe I could find a decent hairstylist to cut my hair. My two month-old hair cut was starting to look scraggly.

Belfast

Belfast

Belfast

Well, hairstylist shopping was a bust, but what we did find was a little lobster shack, and a brewery. First stop was the food truck. Lobster rolls. I’d had better, but they were decent, and hit the spot.

Lobster shack

Waiting for our lobster rolls

Second stop, was the brewery. Marshall Wharf Brewing Company. We’d intended to take a great big walk around the waterfront area, but one of the first things we saw was the brewery, and that’s as far as we got.

Score!!!

@ Marshall Wharf Brewing Company

@ Marshall Wharf Brewing Company

Dax, hanging out @ Marshall Wharf Brewing Company

Dax, hanging out @ Marshall Wharf Brewing Company

Life was sweet….hanging out on the patio of the brewery, sipping beers, talking to people. All of a sudden, the wind picked up and the sky started getting dark. Uh-oh!! We chugged our beers, and high-tailed it back to the Space Shuttle!!

It started sprinkling on us when we were about a block away from Fiona. And then we heard thunder. And I swear, 15 seconds after we all climbed inside Fiona, the skies just opened up and it poured rain.

It was too dastardly to drive, so we just sat there for 20 minutes, until the storm subsided just as quickly as it had come on. With just a lite drizzle coming down, we continued our drive to Bar Harbor, where we checked into our campground for the night.

On the way to Bar Harbor

Tucked in @ Bar Harbor Campground

@ Bar Harbor Campground

Mission Accomplished! The Space Shuttle Arrives In Newport!

Downtown Newport, Rhode Island

Day 45          July 24

This was a monumental day for us, because we finally, after driving about 7,000 miles, arrived in Newport, Rhode Island. This was the whole reason we were traveling cross-country….to get to the Newport Folk Festival. Yipppeeee!!!

Hello, Rhode Island!

This way to Newport!

This was also a monumental day for Dax and Trixie, because this would be the first time on the whole trip, that they’d be separated from us. Since we’d be spending about 10 hours a day, for three straight days at the music festival, we had to board them.

After checking in at our RV park, we drove to Fort Adams, the festival site, to get our bearings for where we’d have to drive to in the morning. Fort Adams is a cool place, with lots of musical history. Other history too, as it is a real fort.

Here we are!

The iconic big banjo @ Newport Folk Festival

Our first batch of New England oysters

Lunch stop by the water

After a lunch stop, we drove the dogs to Narragannset, to Gnarly Dog…the cage-free facility I’d found on line months ago. I breathed a sigh of relief when we saw the place and met the owner. Nice place. Nice owner. I felt confident that the doggies would be in good hands.

The pups’ home away from home near Newport

I was sad to say goodbye to the pups for what would be 3 1/2 days, but I was also happy to have 3 1/2 days of freedom. If you have dogs, or kids, you know what I mean.

With complete freedom to do whatever we wanted to, without concern for the dogs, Mark and I headed straight for the beach! We made sure to touch the Atlantic Ocean to officially complete the coast to coast part of our journey.

We’re in….the Atlantic Ocean!

Mark, & the Atlantic Ocean

Cool sculpture by the beach front

Of course, our second stop on the freedom trail, was the grocery store. Not too exciting, but, necessary. Oh yea, we also stopped at the post office to mail my friend Bob’s present off to him. I’d bought it two or three weeks ago, can’t even remember now. But I kept forgetting to mail it. Finally shipped it off.

Near Newport, RI

Near Newport, RI

It was early evening when we got back to our RV park. A couple women staying nearby us in the park, asked where our dogs were. They’d seen us drive in earlier in the day, before we’d dropped the pups off at “camp.”

“We took them to Gnarly Dog for boarding while we attend the Newport Folk Festival,” I replied.

They weren’t critical of my decision, but told me that they would have taken care of the dogs for the three days that we’d be gone.

Can you say, Guilt Trip?!!! Plus, I already missed my doggies. On the other hand, the space shuttle seemed so, uh, spacious, without having to trip over Dax and Trixie. So yea, boarding them was a good thing!

Hot Diggity Dogs In Nashville!

Must be Nashville

Day 34      July  13

July 13 was a great day because we got to spend it in Nashville. 

Before hitting the downtown tourist area, we made a quick stop at the state capitol building.

Hangin’ on tight as we hit a round-a-bout

The Space Shuttle, parked in the spot reserved for the Attorney General. Whatever, dude.

State Capitol Building

And then we discovered the most awesome public farmers market, where we stocked up on all kinds of fruits and veggies.

Very cool bike stands outside the farmers market

Farmers market

This market was huge!

Beautiful produce

And more produce…

And more…lots more!

Alas, we hit the fun and funky downtown fun town. Even on a Sunday afternoon, the place was bursting with live music coming out of every bar and restaurant. So much energy in this place!

Great use of an Airstream trailer

Must be Nashville

Fun Nashville signage

The main drag

Fun and colorful signage

Cool building

It was one of those super hot and humid days again, and we had to stop frequently to water Dax and Trixie. At one point, when I could tell the pups were a little over-done we actually took them inside the Music City Center building to let them lie down on the cool tile floor and cool off in the air conditioning. Luckily there was nobody official hanging around there to tell us that dogs weren’t allowed inside.

Music City Center building

Music City Center building

Music City Center building

Music City Center building

It was really hot out, and I warned Mark NOT to go outside.

We were back were back on the road in the afternoon. We made a stop in Bowling Green, KY to see the campus at Western Kentucky University. That is one heck of a hilly campus!

The final destination of the day was Mammoth Cave National Park. By time we got there it was too late to check it out, so we went directly to a little campground nearby called Singing Hills RV Park and Campground.

Singing Hills turned out to be a little gem of a place. The owner was super nice. The park was small, well kept and quiet, and we met some really nice folks there. Best of all, it had a blazing fast internet connection!

It was still very hot outside, and we knew we’d need to run the a/c at night, so we got a site with electric and water hook-ups. With our Passport America discount, our site was only $16. A great deal and a great find!

That night I had what was, and still is, the largest skeeter I’ve ever killed. It was almost the size of a dragon fly. Huge sucker. Yuck!! Good Night Irene!

St Charles to St Louis…An All-Saints Kind of Day

Gateway Arch, St. Louis

Day 29    July 8

We had a fine morning exploring Frenchtown, in St. Charles, MO. Pioneer Park, brunch at the Bike Stop Cafe, and coffee at Picasso’s. In one of the little shops, I found a great birthday present for our friend, Banjo Bob. It’s now July 23rd (it was when I wrote this post), and I have yet to ship it off to him.

The Bike Stop Cafe. Obviously, a bike shop and cafe in St Charles

Trixie Doggie. Another roll in the grass. St Charles

 

Mark and Dax. Checking out the river front. St Charles

Frenchtown. St Charles

Original state capitol building. Frenchtown. St Charles

Frenchtown. St Charles

Lewis & Clark & their dog Seaman. St Charles

We drove to St. Louis in the afternoon to have a look at the Gateway Arch. I’d seen it from the highway many years ago. It’s much more interesting up close!  So many cool angles from which to take photos, although, in a square photo format, it was impossible to fit the whole thing in one shot.

Gateway Arch, St. Louis

Gateway Arch, St. Louis

Gateway Arch, St. Louis

Gateway Arch, St. Louis

Gateway Arch, St. Louis

Gateway Arch, St. Louis

Gateway Arch, St. Louis

Daxie Doggie. Hangin’ out by the Gateway Arch

I had no desire to go up to the top of the Arch. Mark’s done that before, many many years ago, and he had no desire to do it again either! Apparently it’s super claustrophobic! And honestly, that thing was built back around 1964 or 1965. It’s like a freakin’ antique. Would you really want to be riding up in that contraption??!!

It was still 95 degrees outside, but the humidity had subsided, which made for much more comfortable sightseeing. Even the dogs seemed comfortable.

We had a nice look around, the dogs had a good roll-a-round in the grass, and we called it a day!

Doggie Diarrhea and Praying For Cold Beer

Cold local brew. One of favorite discoveries on our trip!

Day 15

We called the local Airstream dealer first thing in the morning, and explained to them our situation. Our situation being, that we couldn’t keep our beer cold. Fridge problems.

The service manager at Airstream Northwest Adventures, Zonia Allen, couldn’t have been nicer, and told us to come in at 10:00 am. We did. They looked at the fridge and determined the problem. Then they called the fridge manufacturer, Nova Kool, in Ontario, Canada, who told us they’d overnight ship the part we needed.

This whole thing took just long enough for me to write a blog post, and to eat some of the oatmeal cookies that one of their customers had brought in. To read about the cookies, check out my post on June 24th.

In the afternoon, we visited the World Center for Birds of Prey, and in the evening, we hit the Basque neighborhood for dinner, in downtown Boise.

Northern Aplomado Falcon @ the World Center for Birds of Prey

Nice view @ World Center for Birds of Prey

Mark, taking in the nice view @ World Center for Birds of Prey

Dinner time

Mark showing Dax his photos from the day

And Then, The Doggie Problems!!

Turned into a nice day. But, really, what day would be totally complete without one of our dogs coming down with a shack nasty case of diarrhea?

Yep, Trixie had the runs. It was so bad that I couldn’t even attempt to clean it up with a doggie bag, yet, not so bad that she couldn’t hold it until she got out of the RV. …THANK GOD!!! And believe me, when we saw how bad she had it, we were taking her outside all the time!

How Low Can We Go?

This was all making sense now too, ‘cause just the day before, one of the dogs had puked on the bed. It soaked all the way through the doggie bedspread, onto our sheets below. About a 6 on the “Scale of Disgusting.” We’d have to wash our sheets, and the doggie bedspread as soon as possible.

Somehow though, “as soon as possible” turned into “the next day.” The next day, however, our sheet was starting to dry out, so that turned into, “the day after the next day.” Well, by then, our sheet was dry. And by the next day, we were so over it, that we didn’t even care.

I’ll admit, I was bothered a bit by our acceptance of the situation. On the other hand, we are Glampers. And sometimes Glampers have to rough it. Yea, that pretty much explains it all away, right?

More Doggie Projectiles

Trixie had diarrhea for more than a week. Four days into her illness, Dax got it. Holy Crap, Batman! 

We had changed their food before leaving home, and it finally occurred to me that that was probably what was causing the problem. A visit to Petco was in order, where they graciously took back two bags of food, and we picked a different kind of food. 

Voila! Within two days of switching food, both doggies were having the most stellar poops. Like a couple of parents to a newborn human child, Mark and I were ecstatic. “Good poopies! Good poopies!” we both exclaimed! Proud parents…yep!

Hello Portland, Oregon!

Portland, downtown sky scape

Enough of nature already. On Day #10, it was time to leave the Columbia River Gorge area, which was full of spectacular scenery, and head west to the big city of Portland.

We made only one stop, in Troutdale. Just a small nondescript town, with a most excellent Italian restaurant! Pompello Ristorante. Best Italian food I’ve had in a long time. 

If you go there, don’t be put off by the slightly grumpy owner. Maybe we annoyed him because we changed tables three times before we ordered. Well, there were problems with each of the tables!! duh!

We got to Portland around 2:00 pm, and headed directly into the downtown area. Portland is full of many cool little urban neighborhoods. Lots of energy, artsy-ness, lots of cafes, galleries, and shops. I really dug the place!

Hangin’ out @ a downtown coffee shop

Trixie, diggin’ the Portland coffee house scene!

Fish gate on a downtown store front

We’d been warned by friends about bike theft in Portland, and so we made a stop at a local bike shop and bought another kryptonite cable lock to lock the bikes up to each other and to the bike rack on the back of the RV. 

I was craving veggies (yes, I love veggies, and hadn’t been getting enough of them on the road), and was thrilled to spot a tiny little juice stand right near the bike shop. Got me some super-duper-veggie charged drink, and immediately felt healthier!

Juice & smoothie stand.

The day was getting on, so we headed about 7 miles out of the city, to the Jantzen Beach RV Park. We got ourselves a nice little spot, wedged in tight between the other RV’s, and right smack dab underneath a huge security light. You know the kind of lights that are installed on big poles in big parking lots to keep crime down? Yep…right under one of those suckers! 

And so, the day came to an end…or didn’t come to an end….perpetual daylight was upon us!! Very disorienting when I woke up at 1:00 am, and thought it must have been 10:00 am ‘cause it was so bright!! Oh well. There are much worse problems to have in life than a little too much daylight during the night!

Day #6….A Place So Beautiful, It Looks Fake!

Smith Rock State Park, Oregon

Day #6 was a great day. Spent most of the day out at Smith Rock State Park, about 45 minutes north of Bend. Smith Rock is absolutely gorgeous, as you can see from my nice photos! In fact, I think that my photos are so nice, that they look fake!

Smith Rock State Park, OR

Mark and Dax stop to take a photo @ Smith Rock State Park, OR

Smith Rock State Park, OR

Smith Rock State Park, OR

Smith Rock State Park, OR

Mark and Dax @ Smith Rock State Park, OR

Smith Rock State Park, OR

We love State Parks, because they’re usually dog friendly, which means Dax and Trixie can come hiking on the trails with us. They did really well, navigating the dirt and rock trails like pros. Trixie couldn’t resist having a good roll in the dirt…twice…turning her into a virtually all-brown dog. A nice touch. Did my best to brush her off when we got back to the space shuttle.

On the way out of Smith Rock State Park, caught some cows sittin’ down on the job.

The best thing to do, after an incredible day of hiking in the most beautiful of places, is to go visit old friends. As luck would have it, an old friend/business colleague from Santa Barbara, who now lives in Bend, OR, saw my pics on Facebook and discovered that we were in Bend. And so, we scored a coveted invite to Richard and Pamela Armstrong’s house!

A fantastic evening was had by all…me, Mark, Richard, Pamela, their daughter Kate, and a bunch of her friends. Kate and her wonderful group of friends made homemade pizzas for all of us. One of her friends, who works at Deschutes Brewery, brought over a case of beer. 

Interesting fact: Employees at Deschutes Brewery get one free case of beer every month. After that, they can buy cases for 1/2 price. Nice job perk!! Nice way to make friends! 

The young folks talked about their upcoming cycling adventure, while Richard and I talked about the demise of the photography industry.

After dinner, we got a tour of Richard’s work studio, where I spotted a cardboard cutout  logo from his old photo lab leaning against the wall. Had a good laugh while Mark snapped a photo of Richard and I holding the logo.

Richard Armstrong and me, with his old photo lab logo.

And finally, back to our RV park for the night. The end of a really special day!

As a post-script, I have to tell you this….contrary to what you and I might have begun to believe….not all young people are idiots. Richard’s daughter and her friends were the nicest group of young people…friendly, smart, articulate, well-mannered, independent thinkers. Gives me hope for the future!!

Waiting For The Next Road Trip…..

Neighbor’s Doggie…..