Month 2 - THE AMERICANA KITSCH AND CULTURE TOUR

 

Day 29 – May 31st – Tuesday

We went to Collins Diner. Then the covered bridge at Cornwall. Kent Falls waterfall. Then the Cider House. Then Lamothes Sugar House… had a big row.. came back to the campground at Litchfield.

Collins Diner. Love these places

 

Day 30 – Jun 1^st – Wed

Drove to Southern Connecticut to Mystic. So utterly pretty. It is charming. Had fish and chips for tea and a lobster roll. Felt shocking all day with a dreadful sinus headache. Nice campground we are staying in.

Lobster roll. Yum!!

  

Day 31 – Jun 2^nd – Thur

Went into Mystic seaport and ate lunch. Watched the bridge come up and down. Then headed up to Pawtucket, CT. Stopped at the campground there for a couple of hours, then drove over to the Pawtucket Red Sox, McCoy Stadium. Watched a game between Red Sox and Norfolk Tides the Triple A feeder team for the Orioles. Great food there – crisp hot fried, lots of them. Pottles of chilli dog sauce and liquid cheese. Hot dogs. Fried Dough.. Yum… Good seats between home and 1^st base. Good game.

 

This game played for over 30 hours I think. I have to look up my notes. Very cool to at this stadium

 

Day 32 – Jun 3^rd Fri

Drove south again to Newport, RI. Stopped and looked at the round stone thing in the village rectangle/square in Newport, then walked down the hill into the township, brought some fridge magnets and came back up to the camper. Drove to The Breakers Mansion and did the tour. Just gorgeous. What a fantastic place. I wish we could have taken photos… It was lovely. So opulent and lavish. The Vanderbilts summer ‘cottage.’ Then we came to the campground nearby at Middleton – ugh. No toilets or showers, 45.00 a night and practically touching other campers. Awful. But never mind. We went and had dinner at the Atlantic Beach Club restaurant and that was very nice. We had the best Lobster Newburg and Lobster ? – yummy sauces. Mine was classic cream and sherry. Aarons was mushroom, cream and brandy… OMG.. soooo good. Tried Quahogs… big clams – nothing earth shattering but nice. Sweet, like most clams. Had a trio playing, piano, double bass or cello and drummer… Very nice music. Had a young crooner guy singing – very fun. We both agree, we are not that keen on the Northerners,  and are not enjoying it that much. Also, the server said that Northerners are much more stand offish and cautious. Not working for us at all.

The Vanderbilts Breakers Mansion. Gorgeous place

Day 33 – Jun 4^th Sat

Ate at the Blue Plate Diner in Middleton. So cute. It was lovely. Had Eric the waiter who was a Lord of the Rings fan and film student.. He was madly in love with NZ. Went and saw the green animals place in Portsmouth. Quite pretty. Then pushed on to northern Massachusetts. Went through Boston, and stopped at a very nice camp site in Cape Ann, in Gloucester. View of the water, on a hill… very nice. Peaceful. Went and saw Clynton and Theresa at their sons little League game. Had a gin and tonic. Talked to Clyntons mum Bronwyn – nurse – worked in Manteca, knows the Modesto Kiwis. Then went and got very very average Chinese and came back to the camper.

 

At the Green Animals place, they also had delicious roses which I love

Day 34 – Jun 5^th Sun

Had a horrible morning getting the fucking rental car. What a fiasco. Rude guy. Got sorted EVENTUALLY but threw out the whole day. We had an argument… horrible.. Then we sorted it out and went to Gloucester port and had lunch there. Very pretty. Ate at Lat 43 and had a fantastic lunch. I had green pea bisque with crème fraiche…Yum.. Then this huge cod cake fried in butter.. with a sauce.. absolutely delicious. Aaron had oysters and salmon.. Great meal, outdoors on the wharf. Then went to Rockport for a wee look. Much busier. Came back here.

 

The extremely picturesque Rockport in MA.

 

Day 35 – Jun 6^th Mon – END OF WEEK 5

Had the car, so went to Salem, Ma. Had lunch at the Regatta Bar. Quite nice. Had horseradish cheese with wonton strips.. good. Went to the memorial for the hanged people and the wee graveyard there, dating back to 1692.. Wow.. Then went to the Salem Witch Museum. A bit cheesy.. but okay. We were a bit short of time. So missed the second thing at the Witch museum… and rushed to get the T to Boston. Got everywhere on time.. thanks Guides. Got the T into Boston. Got off at North Station and then caught the train to State on the Orange line. Got off there and walked down to the waterfront where the Aquarium is and Long Wharf. Took a harbour cruise that was very good. Saw some good sites and had a good time. Then went to Quincy Market and got a corn dog. Came back on the T and met Clynton on there. Then went to his and Theresas house for drinks and dinner. It was nice.

 

Day 36 – Jun 7^th Tues – WEEK 6

Awful day. We fought all day. Gruesome. Got to Portland and hated it. Had a big blow up. Turned back and stopped in Wells, ME. Stayed at a nice RV park, 31.00 a night. Walked down the hill and got lobster, scallops, clam chowder, lobster roll.

 

There are lobster things EVERYWHERE in Maine. So good!

 
Day 37 – Jun 8^th Wed

Woke up today and felt much more human. Thank god. Was going to go and leave New England. But felt better and decided to go to Bar Harbor in Maine instead. Had a good drive up here. Ate at the Maine Diner. Had cod cakes egg benedict for breakfast – really good. Then went to the PO, then off up north. Stopped at a couple of wee towns. Really pretty. Camden, very pretty harbour. Then stopped at a lobster shack and had a really good dinner. Lovely people there. From Texas. Had lobster, they had the steamers there. We had scallops, and the best Texas BBQ.. Yummmm.. Great ribs. So nice. Had the most horrific thunder and lightning storm. Was right on top of us for ages. Aaron made helpful comments like: Well, at least the camper next to us is a bigger target. Leo was weirdly calm throughout the whole thing?

Cooking our dinner in the steamers

 

Day 38 – Jun 9^th Thu

Got a convertible mustang. Went for a drive over the Pensnobscot Peninsula. Not very exciting but the nice drive. Then came back, ate lunch at the BBQ place – had the smoked salmon spread and the smoked mussels. So good. Then went to the Bar Harbor Peninsula – Desert Island… again, very pretty but not very exciting. Nice though. Drove all day with the top down… very fun. Doing some great outdoors stuff.

 

The Lobster Pound we couldn't stay away from. They also had Texas BBQ, a fabulous combo

 Day 39 – Jun 10^th Fri

 Went up in a Waco bi-plane and flew over the Bar Harbor area. Really fun. Aaron and I both went in the front cockpit. Excellent. Flew with Dave. Went back and got more BBQ, Baked beans with pulled pork in it. Yummm. Then drove to North Conway, New Hampshire, just over the border, to the White Mountain Area. I was not feeling that well, so Aaron went to see the X something movies just up the road. I hoped he wouldn't run into a bear on the way back. 

 

Aaron looking a wee bit nervous, before we go up in the Waco Bi-plane

 Day 40 – Jun 11^th Sat

Had a great day today. It rained all day and we couldn’t control the weather gods… oh well. We went to just out of Lincoln, to Franconia Notch State Park to the Flume. It was lovely. We got rain ponchos and it was a 2 mile walk. But really beautiful. Gorgeous stuff. We then went back to the Clarks Trading Post and saw the bears… Omigod, just fantastic. So well looked after and so much like people to the Clarks. It was fantastic. We got bear stamps on our hands. The bears were just adorable. We were enthralled and enchanted. And the commentator and trainer Murray Clark was really funny as well. We saw Maureen, the sister trainer, kiss the bears a few times. Just like children… so lovely. The rest of the place was very cute too… but the bears were totally worth the visit and the price… Just gorgeous. Then left there and went to St Johnsberry, VT and found a very nice RV park, called Moose River Campground. By the river and exploding moose stuff everywhere, but very nice. The township is rustic, reminiscent of Whistle Stop, Alabama and banjos.

Oh, these bears were so special. They ate ice cream off teaspoons and their owners kissed them on the nose.

Day 41 – Jun 12^th Sun

Drove around depressing Vermont in the rain. Deaf weather gods. Went to the sugar house in St Johnsburg, VT. Also the Dog Chapel, nice place but snotty people. Then went to the Cider House and BBQ pub… okay.. but the server Laurie Ann was a classic. Real West Coaster type person. Lots of cousins… 65 relatives in the wee town of Waterbury.. .Hmmm. Then drove to Burlington, VT on Lake Champlain.

This is an old sugar shed at one of the Maple Sugar houses

Day 42 – Jun 13^th Mon – END OF WEEK 6

Started the drive across New York. Grotty day. Stayed at a nice wee campground at Herkeimer, NY.

 

I love things that are 'The Giant...'

Day 43 – Jun 14^th Tue – START OF WEEK 7

Drove to Lockport, NY, near Buffalo, NY. Stopping here for a couple of days. Went to the Crazy Otto’s diner in the wee town this morning. Nice old diner, that was fun. Then drove here.

Another diner, this one a lot friendlier than Collins

 Day 44 – Jun 15 Wed

Went to Niagara Falls on the Canadian side. Fantastic. So green and so powerful. It was fantastic. Great views no matter where you looked. We went on the Maid of the Mists boat that goes up to the falls.. and wowww.. the power and the spray.. you got drenched.. very fun. We had blue plastic ponchos on… Very fun.

 

The spray coming off Niagara Falls was astounding.

 

Day 45 – Jun 16 Thu

Had the day ‘off.’ I went and got my hair done with Jessica at Pesarona or something.. excellent job. And also my toe nails. We ate at Shamus afterwards and it was good. Their lobster bisque was sooo good… as was their blackened scallops with caramalised onions.. yummmm.

 

These were fabulous!

 

Day 46 – Jun 17 Fri

We started the drive to New York City. Seemed to take ages, got 2 new pairs of shoes for me. Then the long slow drive… we ended up in Podunk, Upstate NY… Monstrose.. that’s right. Half the time, we don’t’ even know where we are anymore. We need to come off the road. I am ready for our money and our house in the South now.

Day 47 Jun 18 Sat

We drive most of the day, mucking around in PA, finding Walmarts and Burger Kings. We arrive in Jersey City, NJ around 5.00. We drive past Carlos Bakery in Hoboken, NJ and it’s crazy busy. People line up outside the shop and across the street. The  streets are teaming with cars going to the Holland Bridge. It’s very busy, but strangely exhilarating. Our RV Park is at the marina, but like a car park with showers. Still, it’s surprisingly quiet for being in a big city and it’s close to the rail and PATH to NYC. We walk up and go and have dinner at the Brownstone Diner in Jersey City here. Nothing flash but okay.

 

It looks just like it does on TV. LOL.

 

Day 48 Jun 19 Sun

We get up early and catch the light rail to the where the PATH runs from… on the waterfront. Took the PATH train one stop under the harbour to World Trade Centre stop. Got out there and wandered around, got breakfast at a local place. Had a very evocative photo of 9/11. Then caught the subway uptown to the Met museum. Had to walk about 3 blocks to get there but all very easy. Went in and saw the Met… not very exciting in some ways. The art did not wow me much. Then had a hot dog and walked through Central Park, all around the Green Lake where people were boating, to Strawberry Fields and the fairly uninspiring John Lennon memorial. Then we walked to Zabars on the Upper West Side. Got some wonderful cheese at Zabars and a Knish… yummmm. Had fun at Zabars. Then caught the subway to Mid Town. Walked up to the heart of Broadway and the theatre district. Went up the top of the Rockefeller Centre – called Top of the Rock.. Great view across NYC.. and central park. Could see the Empire State building clearly from there but not the Chrysler building. Then, my feet were so sore, that we limped back to the subway, got a donut each and caught the subway downtown and back here.

 

This was an amazing photo in the Deli we got breakfast at. Just out those doors is the Twin Towers site. An exhausted New York cop, catching a breath.

Day 49 Jun 20 Mon

NYC again. Went on the Staten Island Ferry past the Statue of Liberty in the harbour. Then caught the train uptown and went to the Harry Potter exhibition in Times Square. Very good. Then to Carlos Bakery Café at the Exhibit building. Got some lobster claws and a cupcake. Then back on the subway and came back to Hoboken in Jersey. We tried to go to Carlos Bakery but about a 40 min wait. So, went back to the camper.

The mounted police in New York City

Day 50 Jun 21 Tue WEEK 8
 
Drove from Jersey to Manheim, PA, just out of Lancaster. Went and saw Roadside America. Very fun. A whole huge room/hall filled with miniature villages and characters. Amazing. So well done and lots of details. Quite amazing. We stop at the Hex shop next door, get some souvenirs and ate bad hotdogs and hamburgers, then come to our campsite. Ok… but ye olde freeway RV park – again.

 

What a labor of love this miniature town was. Quite extraordinary.

 

Day 51 – Jun 22 Wed

I am shattered. So Aaron goes off by himself in the car to Hershey. He goes to the Car museum which looks really good. And the ZooAmerica and sees all sorts of American wild life. Later he goes to see Blake practice baseball and see Debbie and Greg. I am so stuffed, I don’t go .

 

 Day 52 – Jun 23 Thu

Went to see the Pennsylvania Dutch Amish. Went to Bird in the Hand, then Intercourse. Went on a buggy ride with Abes buggies, our driver was Irv, a Mennonite. A good ride. We stopped at an Amish farm and bakery. Lovely. Got a pot holder and a cherry pie… very good. And some potato chips. Yummm. Then shopped at Intercourse. Got a Stromboli which I thought was going to be a pizza and some pasta but ok..

 Day 53 – Jun 24 Fri

Went out with Debbie and Greg and the kids. Ate at a good diner. Then went and looked around the Lancaster market. Lots of Amish selling stuff. Good. Then came back to the camper, then back into town to see the Lancaster Barnstormers play with Debbie and Greg and Blake and Gavin. Great night.

 

The Glass family who we met at a baseball game. Lovely family. :-)

 

Day 54 – Jun 25 Sat

Drove most of the day, seemed to take all day. Did 4 states in a day. PA, WV, Maryland and Virginia. Stopped at Dinosaur Land, very old and crumbly but kind of fun. Then on down to Charlottesville in the Blue Ridge Mountains… very pretty.

This place gets the most tacky and Kitschiest award.

Day 55 – Jun 26 Sun
 

Got up early and got to Schyler, where Waltons Mountain is. Saw a video there and went through the museum, it was excellent. It brought tears to my eyes. So lovely. Then we went to Lee and Wendys place in Glasgow and had lunch with them. Groovy house. It was great seeing them too… very nice to catch up. They have their grandson Jay living with them too and he was a good guy. Very nice. Then left and went and ate at the Pink Cadillac, where some hicks from the sticks were, what a bunch of yobbos. Pretty ugly. Aaron has been having flashbacks all day. And not the nice kind… kind of weird energy here.

 

We loved seeing 'Walton's Mountain' and the museum. It was so evocative. Everyone had tears in their eyes.

 

Day 56 – Jun 27 Mon – END OF WEEK 8

Drove out of Virginia… yay.. thank god and into Tennessee. Much better energy.

 

This is Earl Hammer's boyhood home, that the Walton's house was based on.