North to Newfoundland!!!

"Travel is fatal to prejudice"     Innocents Abroad   Mark Twain

The third time's a charm, right?  The Newmar Kountry Klub, the owner's club for Newmar Corporation, the maker of our Dutch Star, offers a lot of really nice events, rallies and caravans.  We have been on quite a few of their offerings during the 5 1/2 years of our Dutch Star ownership.  One such recurring event is a caravan to the Canadian Maritimes including Newfoundland.  We initially signed up for this event for 2021, but that trip was ultimately canceled due to the COVID pandemic and concerns about crossing the border.  We signed up again for 2022, but ultimately bowed out before the cancelation deadline due to health concerns, both Matilda's and mine.  Matilda's health had declined significantly starting about November 2021.  She ended up passing during the time we would have been on the trip.  Also, my left knee was failing, and I was experiencing significant mobility issues, leading to a total replacement in May 2022, about the time we would have departed on the trip.  In retrospect it was a good thing we didn't go on the 2022 trip; the trip leader had some mechanical issues, with his coach, and had to leave the caravan.  Apparently, the trip went downhill from there.

So here we go, on our third attempt to attend this caravan.  We arrived home from Florida on April 27, with the first of about a dozen doctor’s appointments over the next 2 weeks. Plus, we had a number of home and coach chores to perform, and research to do on crossing the border into Canada.  The rules can change almost daily.  Suffice to say we have been very busy.  

Pickleball friends Dave and Robyn from TGO dropped in and we played a few games

My tool shed had been crushed by a red oak during Hurricane Debby last August while we were traveling in Colorado  My insurance company totaled the shed and bought me a new one.  In October I moved the old shed about 75' and rebuilt it, making it about 5 feet shorter.  Now Dorcas has a she-shed.

So sad!

I built a ramp for the relocated and rebuilt damaged tool shed

Ready to go!!!

Ultimately, we departed Winston Salem on Thursday May 15. We weren't finished with all our chores, far from it, but we had "A long way to go and a short time to get there" (quote from "East Bound and Down" by Jerry Reed from "Smokey and the Bandit".  The caravan officially starts on May 24 (we will arrive on May 23 for a pre-rally event) in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, a distance of 1180 miles from home.  We finally hit the road at the crack of noon and headed north on US 52, I-77 and I-81.  

Whenever we head north, we pass Pilot Mountain a NC state park, about 15 miles north of our home. It is an old friend.

After an easy driving day of 254 miles, we arrived at Endless Caverns RV Resort, just off I-81 in the Shenandoah Valley near New Market VA. We stayed here once before in July 2022 on our way to Maryland and West Virginia.  The campground is built on the side of a mountain with fairly steep roads, but with very level and nicely terraced camp sites.

Giraffe's eye view of Site E62

Bird's eye view of Site E62

The campground was far from full

When we stayed here in 2022 we stayed just one night and did not do a cavern tour.  On this trip we stayed 2 nights and went down into the caverns.  The tour was about a mile long and lasted about 1 3/4 hours.

Tours can accommodate up to 30 tourists.  On our tour there were only 4.  It was a lot like a private tour.

In the afternoon, after our cave tour, we visited Virginia Museum of the Civil War operated by the Virginia Military Institute.  The museum is located on the site of the Battle of New Market, which occurred on May 15, 1864.  From Wikipedia: 

"The battle is primarily remembered today for being the only time in American history a school's student body was used as an organized combat unit. During the battle Confederate general John C. Breckinridge ordered cadets from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), averaging 18 years of age but with several child soldiers no older than 15, to join an attack on the Union lines. The event is central to the Institute's history and heritage."

"Of the 247 VMI cadets at the battle, there were 60 casualties (around 24%), with five cadets killed in action, five more dying later of wounds received, and 50 others wounded in action but surviving. Eight VMI staff also accompanied the cadets and the Commandant, Scott Shipp, was wounded in action as well."

We visited on a Friday and volunteers were preparing for an anniversary event to occur over the weekend.  These tents were staffed by the Society of Civil War Surgeons.  While talking to one of these volunteers, we mentioned that we would be in Newfoundland in a few weeks.  This volunteer told us he had been flying on 9/11 and his flight had been diverted to Gander, Newfoundland. When the U.S. closed its airspace after the September 11 attacks, Gander International Airport took in 38 commercial aircraft and four military aircraft, and accommodated nearly 6,700 evacuees.  This event is chronicled in the book "The Day the World Came to Town" by Jim DeFede.  We will be visiting Gander in about 4 weeks.   I have the book and hope to read it by the time we arrive there.

 

The battle occurred on the Bushong farm.

The Bushong house was used as a field hospital

Most of this afternoon the weather was threatening and there were very high winds.  The Society of Civil War Surgeons' tents and exhibits were blowing over.  Consequently we did not risk a long walking tour of the battlefield.  So we headed back to camp and prepared to shove off the next morning.

We really did like this campground, but we might not ever return.  We had a bit of a disagreement with the management over our bill.  None of their statements specifically stated the nightly rate of our stay, and when we questioned the management, we could not get a straight answer about the charges.  They claimed they used "dynamic pricing" which apparently meant they charged as much as they thought they could get away with before the customer revolted.  Our charges were higher than expected based on our initial deposit and our initial understanding of the rates.  After several long debates with management we did get a modest credit, but I'm still not convinced it was right.  I think they just gave up to make us go away.

On the other hand, they did have pretty nice pickleball courts ...

Westward Ho! Summer/Fall 2024

 Since Dorcas and I bought our Newmar Dutch Star we have attended a number of rallies and events hosted by the Newmar Kountry Klub (NKK).  The one thing we have never done is go on an organized caravan.  We enjoy the independence of traveling on our own, but everyone we have talked to that has been on a caravan really enjoyed it. Consequently, we signed up for an NKK caravan to the Canadian Maritime provinces for May of 2021, but that event was cancelled due to COVID.  We signed up for the same event again for May of 2022, but we ended up canceling our reservation due to Matilda's poor health and my pending knee surgery.  So it goes.

This year, NKK is hosting the Grand Circle Caravan, which travels a loop to all the National Parks in Utah, from September 2-30. Dorcas and I had not been to that area since 2007,  shortly after we bought our Country Coach, so we were intrigued.  One problem though, it would conflict with our annual Boundary Waters wilderness trip, which we have been doing every year since we met in 1997.  The other problem was that I was not willing to drive that far if I had to do all the driving myself.  Dorcas can drive the coach, and does a good job, but she doesn't like to and recently she has suffered vision issues related to cataracts.  However, Dorcas committed to sharing the driving if she could get her eyes fixed.  COOL!!!  So we made the commitment and signed up for the Grand Circle Caravan.

Since we would be headed out west anyway we signed up for the NKK Fulltimers Rally in Colorado Springs 7/21-26 and the NKK International Rally in Pueblo CO 7/27-8/3.  In for a penny, in for a pound.  That leaves us another 4 weeks to putter around Colorado before we meet up for the caravan in Moab Utah on September 2.

OK, we have a summer/fall plan.  Dorcas had her 1st cataract surgery on 6/24 and her 2nd on 7/8.  All went well and she now has 20/15 vision without glasses.  No more excuses about driving the coach.  Daddy is thrilled.  

Unidentified patient undergoing preparation for surgery

In the meantime I'm doing maintenance on the coach.  I changed the fuel filter, fuel/water separator, and engine air cleaner myself.  I used to change my own crankcase oil, but I now having trouble getting under the coach to do that. So I had a local mechanic drain and replace the engine oil and replace the filter at a fraction of the cost an RV or truck service center would charge. 

See my shiny new engine air cleaner?

There are a number of other maintenance items that are long overdue that I am either unwilling or not capable of doing.  So I made an appointment with the Freightliner factory service center in Gaffney SC to perform the long-neglected scheduled maintenance items, specifically all points inspection & lubrication including: replace drive axle oil, replace mechanical gearbox oil, replace hydraulic fluid & filter and replace air dryer filter, coolant test, coolant system pressure check, check all fluids, ride height check, chassis lube, tire pressure check.  Whew!!!!.  

Finally, Freightliner repaired a pesky headlight issue that has been ongoing since at least October last year.  When I turn on the headlights, only the right side headlight comes on.  When I turn on the brights, only the left light comes on. Weird right?  On-coming traffic must think I am winking at them.  In Tampa last January a Freightliner technician spent over 2 hours trying to diagnose the problem, to no avail.  With malfunctioning headlights I had a heck of a time getting our required NC DMV safety inspection done last year in order to renew my tag.  Don't ask me how, but I got 'er done.  I don't want to go through that again!  It turned out to be a missing 30A fuse in a chassis fuse panel.  How does a 30A fuse go disappear????  It was located in an unlabeled position in the fuse panel and there was no extra 30A fuse anywhere else in the fuse box.  Go figure.

That's me on the left at lucky Site #7 at the Freightliner Factory service center

Early to bed, early to rise

Customer lounge.  I spent a bit of time here on Monday

Freightliner service rates are pretty high, but we've seen worse.
The labor rate for my local mechanic is only $105/hr, plus I can bring my own oil and filter.  
Also, there is a huge savings on my DIY service.

My service appointment at Freightliner was Monday 7/15 at 6:45 am in Gaffney SC. All service and repairs were completed by 3:00 that day.  Dorcas has her one week post-op exam on Tuesday 7/16.  I had driven the coach to Gaffney on Sunday afternoon and parked in their service campground.  I intend to meet Dorcas on I-40 near Marion on Tuesday afternoon, where we will hook up and head west towards Colorado Springs.  We have less than 5 full driving days to make the almost 1700 mile drive to our rally venue to arrive on Sunday.  Certainly doable, but no much time to dilly-dally.  After we get to Colorado we can slow down and smell the Columbine. 

Boundary Waters 2022

We put in at Fall Lake Recreation Area on Wednesday August 24 for a 13 day adventure in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Dorcas and I have been going to the BWCAW since we met in 1997.  We have taken a dog with us each time, first Izaak, then Matilda and now Ginger, on her first trip.  Ginger was 11 1/2 weeks old when we put in and had never been in the water or in a canoe.  She had never slept outdoors and had barely any obedience training.   It was sure to be a true adventure!  Not to mention my new left knee is only about 2 weeks older than Ginger.  

Our plan was to put in at the boat ramp at Fall Lake, do the 80 rod portage into Newton Lake and then the 90 rod portage into Basswood Lake. We would take several nights to get to Basswood Lake, then spend most of our nights there.  So that's what we did. 

We spent the first 2 nights on Mile Island in Fall Lake, thereby delaying our first portage by 2 days, allowing us to lighten our food load a bit.  We found a nice site on an isthmus where you could land the boat from both sides of the island. The site featured a lot of blowdown which were useful as tables and furniture.  It rained in the evening and a bit overnight, but we stayed dry under the rain tarp. 

We try to eat some fresh food the first few days because we know we will be eating dried food, pouch meat and cured pork products for the remainder of the trip.

First dinner: steak and onions with mixed veggies and scalloped potatoes

Lots of timber on Camp 1

Corned beef hash and eggs are traditional first morning breakfast

Camp 1 on Fall Lake featured a flat-topped log that made a great buffet table

For about ten minutes, shortly after landing at Camp 1, we tethered Ginger with a leash.  She immediately gnawed it in two.  We didn't bother to tether her again. She always stayed close to camp. She's a bright dog, and she knows where her meal ticket is.

 

A water knot is a good knot to tie two pieces of webbing together.

Sunset at Camp 1 on Fall Lake

Newton Falls

All three lakes we were on allowed motor boats. Consequently they also allowed wheeled dollies to transport either a motor boat or a canoe across the portage.  These portage paths are relatively smooth and flat as to accommodate a wheeled dolly.  So this trip I used wheels to move the boat and some of the gear.  It was not as easy as I thought it would be, and I'm not sure I would do it again, were we to do this route again.

A nice Northern pike on Newton Lake

We camped the next 2 nights on Newton Lake following the 80 rod portage.  Again we were able to lighten our food load before doing the second portage into Basswood Lake. There are only 2 campsites in Newton.  The first one was open so we took it.

Canada geese on Newton Lake

This guy just jumped right in the boat! Honest!!!

Sunset over Newton Lake

Pancakes and country ham are a regular breakfast staple

We have never allowed a dog to sleep in our tent.  Izaak and Matilda always slept on the ground under the vestibule outside the tent, or made a nest in the brush nearby.  Ginger spent the first few nights outside as well.  Initially she wanted to come in the tent, but we said no, and she accepted that.   A few nights into our trip we had a thunderstorm overnight and Dorcas let Ginger into the tent, and that was that.  I'm not sure now we will ever be able to get her to sleep outside.

I had assumed all dogs instinctively knew how to swim, but our vet said that was not necessarily so. While they may learn to swim pretty quickly, they may also sink to the bottom and swallow some water before they figure it out. So in Ely we bought a puppy PFD, which none of our other dogs ever had.  It turns out Ginger had no intention of jumping out of the boat.  While paddling she mostly laid down and slept, occasionally looking up if anything was going on.  When on shore she would wade a short distance into the water, but never any deeper than her belly.  I kinda hoped she would jump out of the boat, so we could see what happened, but she never did.  Perhaps we should have just dunked her to find out. So, we still don't know if she can swim.

Just minutes after leaving Camp 2 on Newton Lake we saw a bear and a cub in a tree near the shore. Unfortunately we were unable to get photos. DANG!

Finally on Day 5 we portaged into Pipestone Bay on Basswood Lake, our home for the duration of the trip. We found a nice site in a cove that was off the beaten path.  Few motor boats ventured into the cove, and it had the feel of being on a smaller lake. 

Ginger likes Camp 3

We think this is a Northern flicker

A pair of trumpeter swans visited our camp

Ginger wants to carry the food pack

This is about as far as Ginger ever went into the water

The gals chillin' at Camp 3

Chocolate chip pancake with extra chips!

You can't buy country ham up here.  We bring it from home.

This is a magical musical pan! Click on video below to see the magic:

A common loon stretching its wings

This is the deepest Ginger ever got into the water

A perfect day to paddle

A misty morning on Basswood Lake

A perfect bear line

We discovered a new bug this year; they were swarming everywhere.  They looked like a midget yellow jacket or a sweat bee on steroids. However, they didn't sting, and they were not annoying. We discovered they were" hover flies"

Ginger learned quickly that she liked people furniture

Only one time did she mount with excess lateral speed and tip the chair

Most people don't ever read food product labels.  They should.  There's some weird stuff out there.

Will you die if you eat it in Feb 2048???

Ok, 2 servings, 90 calories each should equal 180 calories. Right?  So where did the extra 10 calories come from???

Bonus calories

Camp 3 on Basswood Lake

I love a pup with a grab handle

Pooped pup!

My two favorite gals

Robbing a beaver lodge for firewood

Ginger guarding the food pack

A little rain at Camp 3

One day we decided to weigh Ginger using a fish scale.  She did not enjoy the procedure. 

The woods were full of red squirrels.  They would spend half the day gnawing pine cones from the branches and throwing them down on defenseless campers.  The rest of the day they would collect their booty from the ground and scurry into the woods to their secret stash. 

A red squirrel munching on a pine cone

The portages into both Newton and Basswood Lakes are very busy.  Take a number. 

For those who never had a puppy, let me tell you this. A puppy is the Devil, with razor teeth and claws.

The Devil said: "But Daddy, its not my fault"

Then she's an angel

Ginger playing with a stick

Ginger sleeping with a stick

Mergansers at camp on Basswood Lake 

We had some river otters near our camp.  They weren't close enough to get good photos, but hopefully you can tell they are otters.  We also saw a few beavers. 

I think this is an otter, but it could be a beaver. What do you think?

So cute!

Ginger guarding our gear at the portage

On Day 13, our last day in the wilderness, we departed our camp on Basswood Lake, negotiated the 2 portages into Newton and Fall Lakes and returned to civilization.  We always worry about leaving the motor home unattended in a public parking lot for this long, but when we arrived all was well.  We have a residential style refrigerator in the coach that uses 120 VAC to run.  The batteries and the inverter, along with a little help from the 400W solar array will keep the fridge running a few days, but cannot likely keep up for a longer duration.  The coach is equipped with an automatic generator start function that kicks in when the batteries are low.  I have the system programmed to start the generator when the batteries are discharged to 12.2 V, and then run for 2 hours.  The generator ran for a total of 24.0 hours, averaging 1.8 hours per day.

Day 13.  Arriving back at Fall Lake boat ramp

All in all it was another great trip.  The weather was generally mild. Typically temperatures ranged from highs in the mid-70s to lows in the mid-50s. Our single lowest overnight temperature was 40 degrees. We had a few rain events, but they were short-lived, and we were able to stay dry at camp.  Most days were pretty windy which hindered us from venturing out from camp and fishing.  When we did fish, we did pretty well.  On one night we saw the aurora borealis i.e. Northern lights. I expect we would have seen it more if we had gotten up during the night and looked in the right direction. None of our camps had a particularly clear view to the north. 

This trip totaled 22.57 miles of paddling and portaging.  At ages 68 and 67 Dorcas and I are no longer physically able to all the things we could do when we were younger.  Consequently we try to do shorter and easier trips each year.  We do fewer and shorter portages and fewer moves during each trip.  Hopefully we have a few more such trips left in us.