Foggy Bottom to Lake Champlain

Monday, July 27, 2009

It turned out the campground was in a bog, so after Carol jumped into the pool and I pooped the dog, we headed out of there. Still, we didn't get out of “Foggy Bottom” until after noon. I found the Interstate and soon after found Plattsburg. Carol has become a master with the Blackberry. She can get directions and names of places that we need to get to while I'm driving. This time I needed an RV repair center. There were nagging problems to get straightened out before getting into Canada. Carol located Bulls RV Center and we were lucky they could get us in without an appointment. While I was explaining to the mechanic what to weld on the bike rack, he asked me where I was from. I pointed to the plates and said Arizona. No, he said, where are you from originally? Sounds like a New York accent. Yeah, I told him. New York City. Some things never change.

Anyway, by the time we left Bulls it was too late to comfortably cross into Canada. Carol, the peerless navigator that she is, consulted the oracle and saw that the closest campground would be on La Motte island in Vermont, just across the state line. So that's where we went. I tucked into our spot around sundown and we took a bike ride down to Lake Champlain. It looked good enough to jump in, but that would have to wait until tomorrow.

Saranac Lake, NY, Revisited

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Our current campsite was reserved tonight by someone else, so we had to either head down the road or try finding a different site here for a few more days. Since the ultimate goal of this trip is to see Nova Scotia, we figured we ought to start moving in that direction.
After a hot shower, which bordered on a sublime mystical experience, we drove into Saranac. On the way, we saw a bald eagle on the side of the road tearing at some carrion, and it rose up alongside us. That was special. Too bad Carol didn't have time to get a picture. Anyway, the plan was to to use the Saranac library's wi-fi again, to look up some stuff and update the glob before pushing off for Plattsburgh. However, provincial upstate New York does not believe in opening public facilities on Sundays so it looked like we were out of luck - or were we? Taking a seat on the bench outside the library, I fired up the laptop and lo and behold, there was the wi-fi connection. Pretty slick, I said to Carol. I like it when she marvels at my occasional ingenuity.

After she took a few more pictures of this enchanting little town, we headed toward Lake Placid. We only passed through it, but it looked about as cool a town gets. There's the lake, skiing areas, biking trails and the buildings were architecturally quite scenic. I kind of likened it to an east coast version of Aspen. The winter olympics were held here in 1980 and they are still profiting from it. The scene looked young and hip and at the moment was very crowded. On the day we arrived there was an international triathlon in progress, and half the town's traffic was detoured to keep the course clear. It's certainly a place I'd like to see again. In the mean time we still needed to get out of the Adirondacks if we were ever going to get to Canada. Rolling down the highway, in the direction of Lake Champlain, we thought of how pleasant our time had been in this unexpected area. I further considered that in spite of having been born in New York City, I'd never been up this way. Such a wonderful playground right in my own backyard and I never knew it existed. What a shame. We will miss the gingerbread style architecture we've seen all across upstate New York, and the appealing landscape in general.

By the time we got out of the mountains it was dark and I couldn't find a remote place to pull the Casita over, so we stayed the night in a campground at Keenesville that had a long, winding driveway with about twenty 5 MPH signs. More specifically, they were hand-painted signs, hanging in trees, that read, “5 miles a hour”. What were we in for?

Day on the Lake, Adirondacks, NY

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Finally got the boat into the water before noon. The trick was to strap the boat to the rack on top of the van the night before, so it'd be ready and waiting, no excuses. Our destination this morning was the river that seems to connect all these lakes. Once my crew was on board I started rowing down river. After about a quarter mile there was a sign indicating that motorized boats were not allowed to go any further. That's a good sign. A nice and quiet time on the water was exactly what we were hoping for.
I rowed. Carol watched. Nicky snoozed. It was peaceful. I shipped the oars to talk with a couple who were canoing in the opposite direction. We wanted to get some information as to what to expect downstream. Very friendly people. He held the rope of Ulysses and passed over a map of the river. Apparently, the area is a great canoing destination. People come from all over the world to paddle around these rivers and lakes. There are signs indicating where portage trails are located as well as numerous primitive campsites not accessible by any other means. It's pretty cool. Sort of like wilderness backpacking but on water. Christie, if you're reading, this is something you'd enjoy. The bird watching is fantastic. You could watch while Vince rowed.
After a good survey of the map we continued on through the serene setting. This whole environment lends itself toward meditative reflection. Far from the madding crowd... and all of that. Whenever we pass canoers or kayakers they seem to have an otherworldliness about them, and will always nod, smile or say hello. Finally, and with some reluctance, I turned the craft around, knowing that rowing against the current on the return leg would only be more difficult.
Rather than pulling the boat out when we reached the dock, I decided to head out into Fish Pond to do some swimming. Why they call the lake Fish Pond I do not know, but it certainly is no pond. Anyway, once I got sufficiently away from the shore, we both went overboard to cool off. There's nothing like a plunge into cold water to revive one's senses. Carol is not too fond of cold water but finds it refreshing on a hot day. I keep telling her that one never feels so alive as when one is immersed in the substance, and she believes me. Even Nicky got into the act by jumping in to join us.
Meanwhile, Carol tried to read from the Kybalion again, but like the previous attempt, it was just too noisy. The worst culprits are the jet skis. I'm sure if I had one I'd be just as bad; screaming across the water as fast as their whining engines can propel them. But when one is floating in a rubber boat trying to listen to words of wisdom from the ancients, these modern conveniences become a major annoyance. There was nothing to be done but return to the sanctuary of the river. Carol has a soothing voice and I never tire of hearing about the seven Hermetic principles. One of these days I might even figure out what it all means.
Back at the campsite, after one of Carol's Casita specials, we pulled the lawn chairs up beside the lake. The contemplative nature of the day spilled over into the evening. Looking up at the stars we discussed the nature of perception, and possible concurrent/alternate realities. I concluded that if reincarnation exists, then there has to be some kind of divine principle at work (or at play). Some entity..energy..force.. has to have set the wheels in motion; certainly something much grander than the anthropomorphised sky God of organized religions.
Evolution can only explain changes in the physical world, and natural selection only works when there is a struggle for life. If channeled books are real, then the entities authoring them must reside somewhere, on some plane. If. . If.. yeah it was that kind of night. The older I get the more questions I have, and fewer answers. I'm just now getting around to understanding the old Greek proverb that “the more I know the more I don't know”. According to my wise wife, “We are here and that's what truly matters. Enjoy the mystery”.

Town of Saranac Lake, New York

Friday, July 24, 2009

Had a nice morning drive into Saranac. Dropped into the public library to use their wi-fi. It still borders on magic or voodoo being able to connect to the Internet without a cable and telephone jack. After paying some bills and updating the blog we took a stroll through town. It wasn't long until we landed in a small cafe that had tables on the sidewalk and was serving lunch. Such friendly people. I never knew there were so many. Carol kept taking pictures around town. She's really getting into this photography and blography. She does the editing and arranges all the pictures. If this offering finds favor with any reader, it is due in no small measure to the time and effort that Carol puts into it. By early evening we arrived back at camp. Crawling into bed, I finished A Storm of Swords. What a cliffhanger! I sure hope the next volume, A Feast for Crows, is just as satisfying.

Life on the Lake, Adirondacks, NY

Thursday, July 23, 2009

In the early morning I found time to work on the blog. It's kind of like homework. Now that we've started it, the process has sprouted a life of its own. This trip there is myself, Carol, Nicky and The Blog to consider whenever we lay siege to a map.
Got Ulysses out and repaired the leak we discovered on Cayuga Lake. Everything seemed in order, so we launched. I like to row. Moving the boat by the power of my arms connects me to the ancients. The water today was too busy for Carol to read from The Kybalion so we enjoyed just watching the world go by. There were speedboats, water-skiers, floaties, jet skis, canoes, kayaks and fishermen. Life is good from inside of a yellow rubber raft.
After dinner we pulled the collapsible chairs to the edge of the grass where the water whispers to the shore. It's times like these I like to ponder the vagaries of life. Tonight, while taking in the tranquility of this place, I kept thinking about World War I and the calm before that storm. What would happen if China decided to invade Kazakhstan? If oil goes up to $200 a barrel, what's to stop them? Not us, certainly. Will the struggle for raw materials be the next “causi belli” for all industrial nations? I can see wicked things happening over the next several years if nothing is done to wean the world from its addiction to oil. I think T. Boone Pickens got it right about natural gas. If we move in that direction with regards to automobile fuel, it would alleviate a lot of the pressure. I'd better start investing in defense companies like McDonnell Douglas or Lockheed Martin. CLNE... I've got to remember that ticker symbol so as to load up when I get some extra capital.

Ranger talks are always a highlight at state and national parks. Tonights topic was owls. The speaker had two small owls for us to view, and gave an interesting presentation. The owls were spellbinding with their big glowing eyes, and were carried around in chunks of tree with straps on attached. Wish we'd gotten a picture.

Fish Creek Pond, Adirondacks, NY

Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Woke up surrounded by wildflowers. Before leaving the spot we went for a short walk up the exposed snowmobile trail. Must be fun in the winter to have all these trails going to all sorts of destinations. Meanwhile, we continued on to Saranac Lake, a picturesque little town sitting on the junction of a lake and a river. While getting provisions there, Carol consulted our thick North American Campground guide and discovered that Fish Creek Pond State Park was nearby and was rated one of the best in the state. This was no exaggeration. Fish Creek was superb; we got a campsite directly on the lake. The shoreline was sandy, making it very easy to get in and out of the clean and relatively warm water. There were miles of hiking trails, and bike trails galore. The first thing we did was take a 5 mile bike ride around lake. The campground went round the entire circumference. The place was nearly full. Although there were lots of watercraft zig-zagging the lake, I knew there would be plenty of room tomorrow for Ulysses, our inflatable boat. Once back at the campsite, I got into the water for an exhilarating evening swim. Ahhhh.....

Day on the Road, NY

Tuesday, July 21, 2009
I managed to get in a few more chapters of “A Storm of Swords” before the wife and dog stirred. Absolutely riveting book. Carol is currently reading “Master and Commander” and seems to enjoy high seas adventure as much as I do. Next, I pedaled up to the swimming hole for a quick dip while she showered. We packed the Casita and were back on the road by 2 o'clock. We were finally leaving Ithaca. Our new plan was to drive up into the Adirondack Mountains in the northern part of NY state. Vince had recommended Blue Lake campground so we pointed the van in that direction.
Backroads and a leisurely pace allowed us to enjoy our new Donna the Buffalo cd's. We decided to get their live cd next. We passed through Blue Lake without finding the campground, so we pressed on. As it was getting dark, I found a wide and level snowmobile turnaround big enough to accommodate the Casita so we spent the night there. It's always nice to get a free night's stay in the middle of nowhere.