Quack Pack 2

While driving through Rhode Island we stopped at a historic house marked by signs on the side of the road. In large part we stopped to put the sticker on the map before we drove all the way through the state. We also stopped because the sign called the house a castle and we were intrigued. It was not interesting. However, we did run into a local man in the parking lot and he started up a conversation. We asked him his favorite place in the state to hang out and he told us about Beavertail State Park just down the road. That recommendation made the stop worth it. The park is located on a peninsula with great views. There is also interesting information on the history of the light house. We didn't stay long but did walk around a bit and enjoy the views while eating lunch.   Bonus picture: Aiden is starting to enjoy the passenger seat while we're not in the car. 

For the second half of the day we spent time exploring Cape Cod. Had it been warmer and had better camping options we definitely could have spent more time here. Who doesn't love some quality time walking on the beach.   There are several impressive lighthouses along the cape but we only looked at two (sets) of them. The first is the famous lighthouse on the Cape Cod potato chips bag. The second was the three light houses that preceded the famous lighthouse at its current location. There were three buildings in order to create a distinct pattern and help let sailors know where they were.   All the lighthouses in the original location have been moved back several times. The entire cape is slowly eroding and washing out to sea. Someone made this artistic rock sculpture on the beach and Kathleen decided to practice taking "Instagram pics" of it. We're trying really hard to embody "travel bloggers" but are clearly not succeeding.  

After stopping by Salem we decided we'd hit one more historic landmark in Massachusetts. We spent the first half of the day exploring the Plymouth water front. Next year marks 400 years since the landing of the Mayflower. Several things were off exhibit in anticipation of their celebration but it was still fun to see. The original Plymouth rock has been cut down in size multiple times over the years, and there is of course doubt that it actually had anything to do with the landing. But it is an interesting symbol none the less. A super intense structure was built to house the rock as part of the 300 year celebration. It was also nice to see that there was some acknowledgement of the impact that this landing had on native populations that had been living in the "New World." Overall, interesting stop. Not really a must see though. Maybe that will be different next year as they amp up for the celebration.

We were passing close to Salem and decided we wanted to drop in, hoping to find a small-ish monument to the witch trials. What we did find was so much more. Everywhere we have been so far has been either "shoulder season" or off season. Things have been either closed, or closing with in a few days. While this means that we haven't been able to get in places, it has also been nice. We haven't had to fight the crowds that are often found in some of the parks that we visited, and several places have even had cheaper "shoulder" rates. The one exception so far has been Salem. October is definitively peak season. It was both fun to see the city in its tourist prime, and a little disturbing. Next to the city's old cemetery there is a memorial dedicated to the 14 women and 5 men who were executed in 1692 after being accused of being witches.       Today, however, Salem seems to attract the occult. There are places all over town heavily advertising that they are ...

We spent the last few days at Acadia National Park and the surrounding Mount Desert Island. We started our adventures at the visitor center, where we learned that Aiden would be allowed on leash throughout the park with the exceptions of some hikes where she really shouldn't go anyway. (Note: dogs are not allowed on the beach and Echo Lake during peak season). We started on a walk around Jordan Pond. After getting to the far side, Andreas went on a hike with Aiden up to Sargent Mountains, then along the ridge southward to Penobscot Mountain before heading back down. They ended up not being able to come down the ridge the most direct way because there was a part that was too steep down rocks for Aiden to take. The peaks yielded magnificent views of the Maine landscape, broken up lakes, inlets, bays and islands. Jordan Pond South facing view from Penobscot Mountain Too steep for Aiden In the evening, we grabbed a lobster grilled cheese sandwich from Charlotte's Legendary Lobster ...

After leaving DC we knew we wanted to head out to Assateague Island, as well as visit one of Kathleen's friends in Baltimore, then we had major decisions to make. We were planning to go to Acadia first but we started to second guess ourselves. It is already getting cold in the Northeast and we were worried that we might have missed a lot of the fall foliage. Also, we want to see Quebec and Nova Scotia as well as the Canadian side of Niagara and Kathleen had to renew her passport. We also considered doing a loop back to parks in Michigan or heading straight south. We eventually settled on our original plan of heading north first and we are glad we did. Even though we were a little late for the leaves in a few places: Some were still perfect: Our main misfortune on this section came when we crossed a bridge into New Jersey and went to put the sticker on our map. We realized that we had left the stickers on the bike rack after putting Pennsylvania on at our campsite.  We thought about...

After visiting Assateague Island, our plan was to go to Salisbury for the night. We'd sent our first Amazon purchase while on the road to a locker there for pickup. That plan changed when the gas pedal all of the sudden stopped working. So, we did what we always do: call Goodsam. They wanted to send out a mobile mechanic. A state trooper stopped by while they were looking to make sure everything was okay. Goodsam failed to find a mobile mechanic and eventually failed to find a place that would tow us. Since we indicated that we were safe, they asked if we could spend the night where we were. I probably should have said no, because at 10 PM another trooper came by and told us we needed to call a tow company. Apparently after checking with dispatch, he changed his mind and we spent the night on the side of the road. Not the best sleep ever.   The RV, at night, on the side of the road on MD 367. In the morning we finally got our mechanic. He was pretty sure we needed a new fuel pump...

Many of our friends in the Northeast suggested that we go to visit Assateague Island National Seashore. Given that Kathleen remembered reading and loving the book Misty of Chincoteague as a kid we didn't need to be told twice. The drive out to park from Baltimore was pretty with lots of small towns and farms along the way. Assateague island is 37 miles long and never more than a mile wide. The northern two thirds are in Maryland, while the southern third is in Virginia. There is no road down the whole island but you can access the island at either the very northern tip or the very southern tip. We went to the northern side because Virginia doesn't allow animals in the park, even in the car. Which is a problem for us. The island is largely known for the wild horses. These horses are believed to have descended from horses that were put out to pasture on the island about 300 years ago in order to avoid paying grazing fees. Now there are two distinct herds, one in each state. The V...