East Montpelier, VT - St. Johnsville, NY - Eden, NY - Clyde, OH

 June 8 - 17, 2025

On Sunday, June 8 we took the Mount Washington Cog Railway to the top of Mt. Washington.

This is our train coming down the mountain.

I thought it was interesting how the cog mechanism works to make sure you don't come crashing back down the mountain.

These trees and bushes look like they're growing crooked, but it was because the railway car was at an angle.

The weather towers and visitor center at the top of Mount Washington.

From the top.  The clouds were rolling in but you can still see the mountains in the distance.

The Appalachian Trail goes through the top of Mount Washington.  Although there's not much of a trail; it's just piles of rock cairns to guide them.

On the way back down.

The building was level but we were not.  The reflection is of our car.

Another car going up.

It was something I've wanted to do for a long time and now I can check that one off my bucket list.

On Monday we went on the Kancamagus Highway through the White Mountain National Forest.  We stopped at the visitor center in Lincoln to pick up some maps and more information, which was very helpful.  We also used our Guide Along audio tour along the way.

This is a panorama at one of the overlooks.

We took the Sabbaday Brook Trail to the falls.

Part of Sabbaday Falls.  It started at the top as a stream, then went down several drops through a gorge.  It was beautiful!

We stopped at the Albany Covered Bridge and walked across.  I love old covered bridges!

Interesting architecture.

View from the bridge.

This drive was also on my bucket list.  It was really pretty but I'd like to come back in the fall someday.

On Wednesday we left Twin Mountain, NH and drove to a Harvest Host location in East Montpelier, VT for one night.

It was at a maple sugar house location.  They had a store and although I didn't buy any maple products because I had bought some at the last maple farm, I did get a t-shirt.  We also got some Cabot cheddar cheese and John got some maple ice cream.

The next day we went drove on to St. Johnsville, NY.

We stayed at St. Johnsville Marina and Campsite for 2 nights.  It was $45 per night for full hookups.  The manager was super nice, let us pick from available sites,  and gave us some information on the area.  It wasn't the quietest location as many trains went by fast at all times of the day and night.  At least they didn't sound their horns most of the time.

This was the view from the back of the trailer.

It was right on the Erie Canal/Mohawk River.

There's a paved bike trail next to the river so we decided to bike the five miles to the lock on the Erie Canal.  As I've mentioned before my balance isn't as good as it used to be so John got me some stabilizer wheels and put them on my bike.  Unfortunately about two miles down the trail the left one popped and went flat and the right on was about to.  So I partially rode without them on the way back.  He's now on Wheels 2.0 and working on making it better for me so we can do these beautiful trails all over the country.

On Saturday we went to a Boondockers Welcome location in Eden, NY for one night.  They were super nice and even brought us muffins for our breakfast the next morning.

A nice quiet night.

Sunday we were on the road again.  We went through Pennsylvania for a short distance...

...and stopped in Ohio.

We're at Leafy Oaks Campground near Clyde for 4 nights.  It's full hookups for $60.63 per night.

I've been working on trip planning since we've been here.  Since I didn't plan ahead very well for the July 4th holiday I had a time finding some places, but the Lord provides!

John said one of the cables on the bedroom slide snapped, so he's fixing that the best he can without all the right tools.

Soon we'll be...

Roving on...

By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
Hebrews 11:3

Trenton, ME - Sidney, ME - Twin Mountain, NH

 May 31 - June 7, 2025

Saturday and Sunday, May 31 & June 1 were rainy so we stayed at home.  On Monday the Lord gave us a beautiful day and we went to Acadia National Park Schoodic Peninsula.  It wasn't crowded at all and I think it was almost prettier than than Mt. Desert Island.

The tide was coming in and it was cool to watch the waves hit the shore.

Beautiful!

We found a nice pullout to have our picnic lunch.  One of the prettiest views of lunch from the truck.

Lobster fishing villages are all over this area.  The harbor with all the boats is so pretty.

On Tuesday we went to Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory.

Driving across the bridge.   We're going up to the top of this tower where you see the windows.

View from the parking lot.

There was another bridge built in 1931. During an inspection they found that the bridge was rusting and couldn't be repaired.  So they built the current bridge, which is 420' high, 42 stories tall (higher than the Statue of Liberty), has a 2,120' bridge span, an elevator speed of 500' per minute, and a 360 degree view from the top. It's one of only four observation bridges in the world.  The other three are in China, Slovakia, and Thailand, and of those only one is now open.

Penobscot River looking south.

Looking west.

Looking north.

Looking east.

It was a lot of fun to do this.  The views from the top are amazing.

The compass rose design in the observatory floor is based on a 1613 map by Samuel de Champlain, who sailed past this site to Bangor in September 1604.

The observatory tower and Fort Knox are in the same area, and once you pay ($6 each senior for the tower and the fort) you can go anywhere in that area.  So our next stop was the fort.

Fort from the observatory tower.

From the war of 1812 they realized that they needed a fort in this area on the Pensobscot River.  It took them a few decades to get started, but construction on the fort began in May 1844.  They first built gun batteries nearest the river. Then they started excavating the main fort site by about 1853.  Work began on the granite foundations and walls of the large central fort building.  There were troops here during the Civil War and the Spanish-American War, but no enemy ships ever appeared on the Penobscot or threatened its towns during those wars.  Nearly 1 million dollars was spent to build the fort.  Congressional appropriations were sporadic, and construction continued for 25 years.  When work finally stopped in 1869, the fort was still not finished.

Fort Knox was the first and largest granite fort built in Maine.  The granite was quarried from nearby Mt. Waldo, about five miles upriver from the fort.

Main Gate

The fort was named after Major General Henry Knox.  Fort Knox in Kentucky was also named after him.

The fort's two levels and four batteries contain mounts for 135 cannons, although no more than abut 74 were brought to the site.

View from one of the casements.

10-inch Rodman cannon.

Inside of fort and parade ground.  It was all interesting and a good day trip.

On Wednesday Michael, JoAnn, and Jack came up and met us at the campground.  JoAnn and I went walking on one of the carriage trails in Acadia.

One of the bridges on John D. Rockefeller, Jr's carriage road.  In 1910 Rockefeller bought a house in Seal Harbor.  At this time some of the area was a national monument, and he realized that traffic would ruin the beauty of the area.  So he started buying up land and designed 57 miles of wooded roads that would be free of motor vehicles.  Each one of the 16 bridges is different.  So today you can walk, ride a bicycle or horse, but you cannot take a car on the carriage roads.

JoAnn and I took the Witch Hole Pond Carriage Road for about 1/2 mile in and then 1/2 mile back.  It was beautiful!  Then we went into Bar Harbor and did some shopping!  I know John was thankful he didn't have to do that with me.

Michael, Jack, and John did part of the Beehive Trail, which the Acadia website says is for experienced hikers.  Unfortunately (or fortunately) they missed the turn because there was no sign and no one else around.  So they went all the way to the top, and would have been going down the ladders area instead of up, which they couldn't do because that trail was one way. So they turned around and went back the way they came.

Happy hikers!  They had a good time and that's all that counts.

Thursday was our last day and I had one more thing I wanted to do - the Bar Island trail that you can only do at low tide.  If you get over to the island and the tide comes back in you will either have to stay there until the next low tide, or call for a water taxi which will cost you $50.

We made it to the bar.  It was windy and quite cool.  As soon as we got away from the water's edge it warmed up again.

The bar at low tide.  There were a lot of people doing the same thing.

View looking back to Bar Harbor.

On Friday, June 6, after 10 nights in Bar Harbor, we drove to Sidney, ME to a Harvest Host - Bacon Farm Maple Products - for one night.  They make syrup and other maple products right there, and of course I had to buy some!

This is where we parked.

The sugar house and store.

On Saturday, June 7 drove through the rain again into New Hampshire.

We're at Twin Mountain Motor Court and RV Park in Twin Mountain for four nights.  It's $45 per night with military discount, and we have 30 amp full hookups.

The owner was really nice and gave us this great site!  He said the cottages in the front closer to the street are from the 1930s, and the then owners then added a RV park in the back in the 1990s.  It's quiet and we're looking forward to exploring the area.

So it will be a few days before we'll be...

Roving on...

"You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth,

And the heavens are the work of Your hands.

1

They will perish, but You remain;

And they will all grow old like a garment;

 

Like a cloak You will fold them up,

And they will be changed.

But You are the same,

And Your years will not fail.”

Ephesians 1:10-12