Fairy Stone State Park - Martinsville, VA

This morning we went in search of the Natural Chimneys. They are 100 ft chimneys of rock with tunnels and holes in them.  Apparently, the results of sink holes.

Off the Fairy Stone, named for the little crosses that are small crystals found not here and in a small area if Russia (that's what it says)..  We went for a short walk, but didn't find any.  Deb got her final campfire of the year.  All in all, a nice fall foliage day.

Occoneechee State Park - Clarksville, VA

Occoneechee State Park

Did a nice hike this morning...3.3 mile loop to a hilltop with scenic vistas, back in time for lunch at the picnic area.  We finally found some fairy stones, once you know where to look, they are easy to find....we found several at the gift shop at the park office.  It turns out in their raw form, they are not very impressive, but once ground down and polished they are worth $3.99 each.

We had a calm and folegic trip to the campground that I cut-and-pasted into the title of this blog.  Unfortunately the last red site was snagged online just as I was trying to get a site, so we had to settle for purple unless of course we wanted blue.  Green is closed for the season.  This is when you nod and pretend you have some idea what we are discussing.  It turns out that the red sites are in the water but have no utilities and are not even close to level, the purple sites are close to the water, somewhat more level, but still no utilities, the blue sites are larger, more level and have electricity and water.  The green sites are someplace totally different that we can't get to.

Natural Chimney Regional Park - Mount Solon, VA

After an exhausting night, we are up at dawn... the campground has been winterized....that means no water, electricity, dump station..  basically a parking spot in the woods...which is really all we need.  In the morning we go for a nice hike in the woods... we see a few more people between the trees and hear lots of gun shots.  The day is a little  gloomy and we decide that vineyards might be a better choice than hiking.

 

There are two fantastic vineyards on this leg if the trip.  The whole trip is less than 80 miles.  We get to Crosskeys Vineyard which has a lovely little bistro, which could mean anything, but in this case, gourmet sandwiches and a glass of wine.  Then a little wine tasting.  They gave a special deal where you don't have to try the sweet desert wines, and both of us opt for it.  It costs $2 less and we gladly put the money in the tip jar.  The rain is coming on and off, but we are having a great time.  Off to Bluestone Vineyard.  With a glass of wine at lunch and a full wine tasting and only 15 minutes between vineyards, we are feeling the need to pace ourselves.  Fortunately, Bluestone offers a white only, and a red only option, and then the sun comes out.  We have an 8  minute drive to our campground.  We are in Nirvana.

It's a good thing we have a few years of RVing under our belt.  Natural Chimney Regional Park follows no RVing conventions.  This is the big Halloween weekend and every site is reserved for the weekend (no clue as to how to reserve sites, or even that they take reservations). There are no driveways for the sites, so everyone sets up however they want to, as long as the power cord reaches the box with site number on it, it's okay.  Some of sites have elaborate haunted houses set up, on RV has been converted to "Camp Nightmare" just for the occasion.

We actually just wanted to see the Natural Chimney, but except for the fact we were camping with Halloween junkies it was a nice place.

Thanksgiving - San Juan Island (7 nights)

Our VRBO on San Juan Island

Since Nathan had used up all his time-off going to Maine and Italy, we all gathered near his place in Seattle.  We found a nice place on the water with a sod roof and cedar siding.  There are windows all along the water side,   There is suppose to be a big storm coming which could be exciting.

The view from our vacation rental.

We went to Friday Harbor, and on the way back saw a pod of five orcas right in front of the house. One of those times you can either be in the moment or take pictures.

The view in this photo is of the Olympia Mountains.  Everyday the view changed, sometimes there were no mountains!

We visited Roche Harbour, on the northern side of the island.  Lovely small town with an interesting history.

Thanksgiving Day 2016

We had a wonderful holiday!  The place had a Viking stove with a warming tray.  Chris and I made the turkey, stuffing and apple pie.  Justin made the best whipped parsnips and mashed potatoes.  Richard's biscuits were outstanding.  Nathan made a wonderful pumpkin squash and pumpkin pie.  And of course, homemade cranberry sauce.

Elizabeth Furnace Park - Front Royal, VA

One last fall outing.  No reservations, no real plans...just four or five days of enjoying life.  Packed and ready to go in less than two hours.  Into Fredericksburg for a Panera lunch....whoops...the whole point of the Panera lunch was to use the gift card that we forgot.

A beautiful sunny day for a drive into the Shenandoah valley.  The campground was one of those places...off the interstate to a divided highway to a two lane road to a one lane road to a small campground with no one there...just perfect for a little pre Halloween scare! Wait...I just saw a person  walking between the trees...it was just a hunter...I think... Definitely a lock the doors night.

Watched a scary Doctor Who episode...why are we doing this to ourselves?  Off to bed...it's a little cold and we forgot the duvet.  We have swears, and we never unpacked the sleeping bags from our Maine trip...of course we could just turn on the heat...but the fan tends to keep me up...as if I was going to sleep in the first place.

Home (10/9/16)

The day started out like any other travel day.  Bags packed and ready to go...to the airport with time to spare.  The plan is to get breakfast on the other side of security.  The line to check the bags is fairly long but moving until just before we get to the counter.  All of a sudden three families are at the only three check-in stations.  One of the families has been there for over an hour, the other two for at least half an hour, the line is growing, and nothing is happening.  Finally we check our bags, but with less than 10 minutes to boarding.  We have to get through Security and Passport control and get to the extreme far end of the airport (5th largest in the world).  We make it just in time, but no food...no potty break.  The flight leaves just a little late, but they can make up the time, we are next in line to take off....then it happens...there is a bag on the plane without an owner (possibly someone who did not walk as fast as we did, or took a potty break.  The plane heads back to some remote part of the terminal to pick up the errant passenger.  By now we are over an hour late when we get to Dublin.  Justin and Nathan's flight to SFO is scheduled 10 minutes ahead of ours so they say their goodbyes on the plane and scoot. We rush through the airport, through Irish customs, through security, through US Customs Pre Clearance.  Somehow we get the priority line (might be because I registered with the State Dept) but the kids don't...we waive goodbye, one more time as we leave the customs area.  Both our flights are in "Final Boarding" status.  Because there are so many stragglers, the flight gets delayed, but we are off to Washington (still no food or potty break).  We have no idea if the kids made their flight or not.

Airplane food never tasted soooo good!  We get to Washington, over an hour late, but the Jetway will not move...technicians are called to fix it...delaying everything for another half hour, which causes more people to miss their connecting flights (we're delighted that this is our final destination and we can take our time).

Of course, we can run through airports, but our bags can't so they got left behind somewhere.  The kids make their flight, but lose their luggage, as well.  Hopefully, we'll get our bags in a few days.  It was interesting to see how a single event in Amsterdam could have such a profound effect on the entire system.  All in all, a very angsty day....but in the end we all made it home safe and sound.

Sheraton Airport Hotel - Amsterdam, The Netherlands (10/8/16)

We said a sad good-bye to our Villa,  collected our security deposit and headed for Naples Airport. The ride was subdued...I thought it was introspection of a fabulous time together...but instead, apparently it was mounting nausea from the ride...just a little windy.

A farewell cafe americano and croissant with Nancy and Marie and we were off to Amsterdam. Checked into the hotel...a nondescript airport Sheraton (with only four hours of internet per room...a definite Trip Advisor moment)...a short train ride to Amsterdam Central...a fun dinner  of "New York meets Amsterdam"...really no idea what we were eating...but good (anything but Italian).



Then to Sherlocked, an escape room.  We had no idea of what we were getting into...the website says that you have an hour to escape from the room, using clues that you find scattered around the room.  I anticipate that our dear children will have this solved in 15 minutes and be ready to move on.  In reality it captivated us for the full hour...we escaped the room with less than 3 minutes to go.  Absolutely the most enjoyable hour I have spent in a long time.  Unfortunately,  I can say nothing about the experience without ruining it for someone else...a definite Trip Advisor moment.


Took the train back to the hotel, for a nightcap and a play-by-play review of the room.  Tomorrow we leave for home...it's going to be a long day.

Villa La Pistrice - Positano, Italy (10/7/16)

This is our last day in Italy, it's been a gorgeous two weeks.  Our plan is to take everyone to Capri, rent a boat and skipper and circumnavigate the island.  However, the weather is not cooperating.  Rough seas have canceled all ferries to Capri.  Justin and Nathan have decided to use the weather to their advantage to draw Positano.  Deb and I had found an interesting walk along the shore to another beach, west of town.  As we got there it started to rain..hard...it's 500 steps to the villa, and the stairs are becoming rivers...   Once we got back to the villa and changed our clothes, the sun came out.  The kids drew Positano from our balcony, dodging back inside as the little showers passed.  By 3:00, we got hungry and dropped into the Hotel Villa Gabrisa for a light lunch, overlooking the bay...then the wind picked up, and the rain picked up, and then we picked up and went inside to finish our lunch.

Our final dinner was at Vincenzo's, a little more upscale place that we had been meaning to go to.  It was nice to have everybody there for a final dinner.

Villa La Pastrice - Positano, Italy (10/6/16)

Justin heads to town for a shopping experience with Nancy, Marie, Bob and Michelle.  Nathan is not a shopper.  We decide to retrace one of our favorite hikes from Monte Pertuso down the mountain to Positano.  The bus ride to Monte Pertuso was the typical Amalfi ride...we're getting a little used to it, but Nathan decided it was the worse part of the trip, or maybe ever!  Lunch in the Piazza more than made up for it.

 We took a nice stroll back to Positano, stopped for a bit so Nathan could draw...meanwhile an entire troop of German Tourists with full hiking regalia passed us.

In town we bought all the fixings for a family dinner in the villa.  My most impressive score was asking for parsley in Italian and getting some from the secret stash!  Dinner was nice and plentiful.  Tomorrow we'll head to Capri, if the weather holds.

Florence, Italy (10/4/16)

Up early and out to the Cathedral to climb the 463 steps to the cupola on the dome of the cathedral.  It only took 20 minutes to get in.  Half way up you come out on a balcony inside the church, from here you can see the devil which is visible on the ground only from the alter.  The final climb goes between the inside of the dome and the outside.  Nathan explains that the outside is supported by the inside but has no comforting explanation for the cracks on the inside dome.  From here it's off to Uffizi (3-4 hour line....nope), then to the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens, then to some piazza for lunch (natch).  Back up 414 steps in the bell tower, over to the Bapistry....back to the apartment for a short break.

Okay, Justin has been talking about buying a leather jacket for a year, and now he has cold feet....so I set the bit, I feel the sleeve of a jacket on a street vendors rack..."Antelope," another "Water Buffalo," another, "lamb."  Oh wow, soft as "butter". He whips it off the rack and starts helping Justin try it on. Tan then Blue, Zippers then Straight, then the mirror, then the haggling, then the purchase.  All together, lass than ten minutes.  Off to the Medici Palace, then to dinner with Megan Hinkley at the Central Market.

We have seen as much as we can see and eaten as much as we can eat.  Tomorrow, it's back to Positano.

Villa La Pastrice - Positano, Italy (10/5/16)

Up early in Florence to catch the train...it's an easy trip to Salerno...then lunch in a piazza (of course)...ferry to Positano....short hike to the street and a taxi ride to the villa...

Our children started with moderate boredom on the the train, to amazement on the ferry, to abject horror in the taxi.

The rest of the family had visited Pompei and Vesuvious and arrived in time for cocktails.  Off to a fun dinner at our favorite little restaurant.

Florence, Italy (10/3/16)

It's Deb's birthday.  For her birthday she wants a trip to Florence, she wants to spend time with her children, and she wants to go out to a nice dinner with her husband...check, check,and check!

Turns out that most of the tourist type places are closed on Monday...but we get to see the outside, which may be enough.  The cathedral is open and we tour the inside...we try for a tour of the roof, but the line is 3 hours long...we'll try again in the morning.  Lunch in a piazza, off to Uffizi Gallery (closed), the Old Bridge (open), the Pitti Palace (closed), Church of St Cross (open), Medici Palace (closed).  Back to the apartment for a short nap.  On to the Central Market...to buy some food....no....it's actually a high end food court.  Wine, beer, cheese, meat, pasta, cookies...even squid ink rice balls.

But we have dinner reservation at some unpronounceable restaurant on some unpronounceable street, back to the apartment via the cathedral all lit up.

Florence, Italy (10/2/16)

We woke up to heavy rain and claps of thunder.  Deb's in the shower and the lights go out, then water starts pouring in under the door.  As I go downstairs to reset the tripped breaker, water starts pouring down the stairs.  Nothing seems to be horribly damaged.  We are heading to Florence to meet the kids...the ferry seems like a poor idea, so we get a taxi (€110).  Once in Florence, we have the direction to the apartment...it's sort of an Amazing Race experience...find a McDonalds, go straight for 100 meters, in the square take the alley to the left...find a number 34 under a portico.  It all worked and we are still in the race.

Florence has a specialty beef, made from the smaller section of a T-bone steak.  We ate dinner in a restaurant that had the speciality, but the smallest order was 24oz, which you split...we would need more people.

Off to the airport to get the kids...back to the apartment...they are on their 30th hour of travel and only want a shower and a bed.

Villa La Patrice - Positano, Italy (10/1/16)

Last day before leaving to pick-up the kids.  It's a little cloudy, but no rain.  We have decided to see Capri...Nancy and Marie are coming with us...Nancy says, "should I bring a sweater"....nah...wrong! It was cool on the ferry.  Of course, we had to take the Forniculare from Marina Grande to Capri (just in case you don't have Google nearby..a Funicular is two railroad cars attached with a cable so when one is going up the other is going down).  From Capri, which was at a min-max (like a saddle) with a nice cooling wind, we took a stretch covertable taxi to Anacapri, a little higher and a little cooler on a  plain.  We toured the historical part of town, eating lunch in a garden restaurant, with possibly the best pasta in the world.

Finally we took the chairlift (sort of kitchen chairs on a string) to the top of  cold Mount Solero.  Nancy and I had coffee at the top, which helped a little.

Down the chairlift...down to Capri in sardine packed Bus, down the sardine packed Funiculare, back to Positano belowdecks on the ferry, up the hills of Positano in a sardine packed bus...to our villa where Nancy immediately went to the stove to cook some delicious risoto and maybe to absorb some of the heat of the stove.

The Hinkleys returned from dinner and we had a nice little party in the dining room, until 10:00.  Brian and Allana were leaving for New Hampshire in the morning, and Megan was leaving for Florence, as were we.

Villa La Pistrice - Positano, Italy (9/30/16)

After staying up past 1:00, we were a little slow on the go.  Went to our little local grocery store for some croissants, but they were SOLD OUT.  Time for a quick back up plan!  We still had 4 huge eggs left over, so with some local bread, we made scrambled eggs with some fresh basil and oregano from the villa's garden (hopefully they won't take the pilfered herbs out of my security deposit).

We find an interesting hike....taking the bus to Monte Pertuso...which is just above Positano.

Monte Pertuso is known for a large hole in the rocks, just above the town.  After a lunch of stuffed zucchini flowers,  we climb to the hole (made by the Virgin Mary to prove her power against the devil - apparently the town of Monte Pertuso is protected by her, while the Positano is in the realm of the devil).

It's a fairly short walk down the hill, back to Positano, where we catch the bus back to the villa.  It's the same bus ride out of town with the u-turn on the mountain road.  All the Positano nubies are fearful that they are on the wrong bus, but old hand Deb assures them that things will be okay.

After a nice dinner with the Dalpé's, we return to the villa for another raucous evening on the veranda...to bed by 12:00...

Villa La Pistrice - Positano, Italy (9/29/16)

It's "Home Alone 2".  The Hinkley's are somewhere between Rome and Florence and Naples, the Dalpé's are someplace between London and Paris and Naples...all with expectations of sleeping here tonight.

Deb has had her fill of croissants...so we head to our little grocery store for eggs...they're not refrigerated, rhey're huge, and they have bright orange yolks, and they are delicious.  With a good breakfast behind us, we take the ferry to Almalfi, then the bus to Ravello, for a fairly short hike back to Amalfi.  Deb, uncertain of her next meal, insists on lunch...but Deb's had her fill of prosciutto.  We haven't actually been hungry during this entire trip.  The scales are in kilograms...we know how to convert to pounds, but we don't want to.  We split a turkey sandwich and I have a cardamom  espresso (actually .00038% cardamom)

The walk down to Almalfi was paved with streetlights, with villas along the way.

We had found a walking guide at the villa, it said that just to the left of the underground parking garage was the entrance to a tunnel through the mountain, under the Duomo d'Almalfi, right back to the ferry dock.  Without the guide, we would never have found it.

Back in Positano, we have a few drinks at the outdoor tables of Hotel Villa Gabrisa, and wait for the Dalpé's. we see them go by...but....the street is narrow and one-way.  They have to loop through the entire town again...apparently with a stop along the way, so the driver could discuss the dilemma with some locals.

With their arrival we went out to dinner, returned home for a welcome bottle of limoncello and waited for the arrival of the Hinkley clan.  By 1:00 in the morning, everyone was safely tucked in.

Villa La Pistrice - Positano, Italy (9/28/16)

So Bob and Michelle are off with the Hinkley clan in Rome, Nancy and Marie are in a Paris, we are here in a Positano bouncing around in a 4000 square ft villa, all by ourselves.  After a good hike yesterday, we did a nice easy beach day today...nothing strenuous.  Because we were on the beach, I decided to take only €80 with me, with no wallet.  So the beach chair and umbrella were €25...that leaves €55...we went to a beach restaurant €46... that leaves €9...Deb needs acetone for €8.60 that leaves €.40.

We have two bus tickets left over from a few days ago.  So we catch the bus, but it starts heading out of town....not to worry, we have €.40, no identification...we may have to hike back to town and we are both wearing beach shoes.  Fortunately, we were on the right bus.  After leaving town, it does a U-turn on a mountain road and heads back right to our hotel. Phew!

Dinner at a fabulous restaurant in a part of town we have not been to.  The waiter takes the time to help us with our Italian...and we buy some supplies for Nancy and Marie's arrival tomorrow

Villa La Pistrice - Positano, Italy (9/27/16)

Apparently Tom Brady is waiting out his Deflategate suspension here with us in Positano.  Hopefully, they will be able to convince him to leave when his suspension is up...

It was Michelle's birthday, so the whole Hinkley clan joined us for a hike on the Path of the Gods.  It started with a quick ferry ride to Almalfi, with a 1 1/2 hour wait for the bus.  The time was well spent touring the town of Amalfi.  The Hinkley's went the spiritual route to explore the Duomo d'Almalfi

while Deb and I took the culinary route and found some spectacular pastries.

We took the city bus to Bomerano, a small town in the mountains.  The road was narrow with dozens of switchbacks, only a little more scary than a wooden rollercoaster.  Once we got to Bomerano, we found the trail and hiked 4,miles to Nocelle, just above Positano.  The views were breathtaking and the trail was fairly easy, considering that it was hugging a sheer cliff face.  We reached Nocelle just as the bus arrived, and took another scary ride back to the villa.

We had a special dinner with the Hinkley's to celebrate Michelle's birthday...with a resounding refrain of Happy Birthday while she blew out the candle on her canoli.

Villa La Pistrice - Positano, Italy (9/26/16)

Bob wants to rent a boat, and explore the coast.  So it's down 400 steps to the harbor, with the Hinkleys...they seem to be all grousing about sore calves...Deb and I silently smile.  We rent an inflated rubber boat.

The wind is against us heading to Amalfi, and we get a lot of chop.  Several of us get drenched in the waves but the sun is out and we will eventually dry off.  There are grottos to explore, and views of towns... all in all pretty spectacular.  By the time we get back, we are all ready for gelatos.

 Deb wants to explore taking the bus back....but it takes too long and we walk back anyway..  We see an interesting restaurant only 200 steps from the villa...seems worth trying.

For dinner, we both opt fir the lasagna....never had lasagna in Italy.  We will have to another before casting oùr final opinion about Italian lasagna.

Villa La Pistrice - Positano, Italy (9/25/16)

Today is Sunday, and much is closed.  Deb and I head out for breakfast, it's to be a short little trip...just not a thing in Positano.  400 steps down to the harbor, a continental breakfast, then a stroll down the beach. Then a stroll up the beach. Then a stroll around the beach.  Then the realization that we are just getting more tired and we still have 400 steps back to the villa.

The Hotel Villa Gabrisa is just at the bottom of the stairs to the villa (only 57 steps), so we have "lunch" at 4:30 (more like a before dinner drink with appetizers), and dinner at 7:00 there.  For the shortest number of steps going out to eat.

Meanwhile the Hinkleys are running up and down to the beach a dozen or so times...really puts us to shame.

Villa La Patrice - Positano, Italy (9/24/16)

To get to Positano in time to meet the caretaker, we need to leave Milan at 6:15 which means that we have to up by 4:45...of course, the fear is that we don't get up in time....but all was well, and we got to the Frecciarossa Train, with enough time to get Cafe Americana, orange juice, and cressant from the cafe in the Train Station...there are no smiling Italians at 6:00 in the morning.  The train goes 250 mph,  so our journey was fairly short to Salerno where we caught the ferry to Positano.  We called the caretaker..."make sure you get a porter for your bags, and take a taxi."  I thought the villa was fairly close to the harbor. "No, it's 400 steps away."  We took a taxi, and the porter charge us €10 extra because of all the steps.

The villa is ridiculous...absolutely immense...with nothing where it should be.  The first room we enter is the pizza oven room, then the piano room, followed by the TV room, followed by the dining room.  Upstairs are four interconnecting bedrooms...there is a shared veranda, but inside the house, you have to go through all three bedrooms to get to the fourth.  The views are magnificent and Deb and I spend half an hour picking our favorite room, and working on our rational for taking it.  By the time the Hinkley clan arrives, we have most of the details resolved.

We went to the local grocery store to find Spaghetti and Tomato Sauce and a loaf of bread, to have a nice little family dinner with the Hinkley's...the first of several that evening for the Hinkley kids.

Hotel Berna - Milan, Italy (9/23/16)

We kinda slept in this morning, but found a full buffet breakfast in the hotel lobby.  After breakfast, we headed out for a day of Milan, which pretty much means visiting the Duomo di Milano.  Our first challenge was the Milan Metro, with a little homework, I had enough information to successfully get on and off at the right place.

The Duomo is huge and gothic.  Deb decided early on that we needed an audio guide to figure out what we are looking at.  Soon we came to a statue of St Bartholomew.  It was an interesting stàtue, but the audio guide told us that his skin is flayed and draped over his shoulder. Wow, kinda more information than we wanted.

Also at Duomo Di Milano, you can walk around on the roof.  From the roof you can see all the flying buttresses, statues, gargoyles, and all of Milan, including a nice looking place for lunch, on the roof of a seven floor designer fashion and home furnishing store.

The afternoon was frustrated by Milan's lack of a gridded road structure.  All the roads that started in the right direction turned.   After several hours of searching for a castle, which turned out to be fairly uninteresting, we found a gelato stand and a metro station.

Back to the hotel, cocktails, and a nice sidewalk dinner.

Hotel Berna - Milan, Italy (9/2216)

Up early to catch the train.  It's a little complicated...the cog railroad down the mountain...a Swiss train through the Simpson Tunnel which was the longest tunnel in the world from the time it was opened in 1905 until 1982 (12 miles long) into Italy and then a third train to Milan.

We had a hour and a half layover in Domodossola, Italy.  We had lunch in a sidewalk cafe where the waiter spoke very little English, much to Deb's delight.  She got order a ham and cheese sandwich, all in Italian...you go, girl!

Our Italian train arrived on time (about half an hour behind schedule).  The train went by Lake Maggiore, maybe a future stop for us.

Out for dinner at Platina, an excellent pasta place.  It didn't even open until 7:15, so we had to have a before dinner drink at a little side walk place.  Trip Advisor didn't let us down.

Hotel Firefly - Zermatt, Switzerland (9/21/16)

it's our last full day in Switzerland, with so many things left to do.  However, it is raining...not a heavy rain, but  everything here is outdoors.  With a few dry hours forecasted, we take the gondola up to Schwarzsee to hike down the Larch Trail.  Schwarzsee is the trailhead for the Matterhorn climb and we can see the base camp from where we get off.  Of course, there is a hotel right there..so we have coffee and hot chocolate.

We are both a little sore from yesterday's hike, but we head downhill anyway.  With the clouds wisping by, the tiny town of Zermatt a few thousand feet below, some local bread that we stole on our breakfast, we meander down dozens of switchbacks toward Füri a small village just above Zermatt.

About half way down, Deb starts favoring her right leg...then something went wrong in my left knee, and I could only walk with my knee locked.  We start to think maybe we're just too old.  Finally, back in Zermatt, we take in a late lunch...that's when we start to notice all the knee braces, ankle casts, crutches on people of all ages.

Dinner at Cafe Julen, lamb ragout and lamb sausage (a lamb restaurant..dah!)...a night cap at the bar and to bed..  we Leave for Milan, tomorrow.

Hotel Firefly - Zermatt, Switzerland (9/20/16)

There is no dining room in the hotel, so they serve breakfast at the dining table in your room...it comes when you ask for it, and it's really good (I'm trying to pretend that this is what I expect everywhere I go...not working, is it?)

Today is suppose to be the better of the next two days, so we are taking the cog railroad to Gornergrat, elevation 10,000 ft.  It snowed the last few days...only a few inches though.  The clouds are blocking much of the view, so we go inside for lunch...by the time we are ready to go, the sun is shining brightly and you can see everything.  It's one of those places that needs to be seen in person. On the way back, we get off the train a few stops early, in Riffelalp, and walk back to Zermatt.  It is all downhill, very downhill.  It's a gorgeous walk, but it's downhill, very downhill.

Finally back in Zermatt, but a little early for dinner, we have a drink at the hotel bar.  They have a hand cranked meat slicer that makes prosciutto, sliced tissue thin.  We got a small mountain of it to go with our beers.  Off to dinner at Whymper-Stube...Schweinsteak with Mozzerella...back to the bar, another mountain of prosciutto.

Hotel Firefly - Zermatt, Swizerland (9/19/16)

After some trial and error, we figure out that there is nothing on the thermostat that will name the room warmer, so we turn it off and the room starts to warm up.  Last night, we heard breakfast was $35 and not worth it, so we found a little cafe for a cressant and strong coffee.

Today is our travel day to Zermatt.  With Swiss punctuality we arrive at Visp on time and take the narrow gauge cog railroad up the mountain to Zermatt.  There are no cars allowed in Zermatt, so we have a shuttle to the hotel scheduled.  We are so efficient that we get an earlier train,  we have lunch at an outdoor cafe near the station.  It's called minestrone but it's really Swiss Chard Soup, good but not to filling.  The waiter takes his time with the check which leaves the shuttle driver waiting for us.  All the shuttles are little square electric cars, very cute, and they can hold up to six passengers. Our shuttle has four others waiting inside...oh those American tourists, they can be so impatient.

After settling into our suite, we are invited to a complementary drink at the bar.  With a cressant for breakfast and Swiss Chard in warm water for lunch, Deb is a little impatient for dinner.  After a lengthy restaurant selection, we head out, but at 6:00 in Zermatt, there is not a sole eating dinner.  Finally, at 7:00 we have a respectable dinner in a crowded dining room.  Deb has Wild Boar....really, and loves it.

Hotel Gotthard - Zurich, Switzerland (9/18/16)

So we decided that since it is a rainy day, we would make a change in our blog.  Why not include all our travels...not just RV!  So this is our inaugural entry.

With Drex at the Sandy Creek Spa for three weeks which he seemed truly excited about and our luggage discussion complete (how big, how many, how long, how cold, how hot, etc), we head for Dulles.  Of course, it's the day of the annual Airplane Pull which means most of long term parking is taken.  We persevere and find a tiny spot which with any luck we will find when we return.

What seemed like an innocent comment would come back to haunt us, "What's you final destination in Europe?" The correct answer is Zurich, the obvious choice Amsterdam is wrong, but it will be a full day before we find that out.

AerLingus is wonderful.  Deb has enough choices on her little TV screen to keep her happy for the whole flight,  which allows me to sleep, on and off, sort of.  A fairly short stop in Dublin, for coffee (Irish but not Irish), and we are off to Amsterdam, with a connection to Zurich...no, wait...our bags are only checked through to Amsterdam...so it's...go through customs, get our bags (20 minutes)...find the KLM check-in....it' a self-service kiosk (20 minutes)...go to self service Baggage Drop-off, a new feature where you put your bag in the machine, scan your boarding pass, attach the checked luggage tag, and window on the machine closes up and your bag disappears (20 minutes)...on to Security Check...again mostly automated (20 minutes) and then the walk to the gate (20 minutes).  Fortunately the flight was just starting to board as we arrived.  And we wondered what we would do in Amsterdam for one and a half hours.

Zurich Airporr is nowhere near as exciting.  A short train ride and we are in downtown Zurich.  I have the address of the hotel on my GPS....but since my phone has not been on since we left Washington, it is taking forever For the GPS to find our position.  Deb is tired, hungry and not up for a technology discussion.  As I slowly come to the realization that I am going to have to ask directions...my most dreaded nightmare...I realize that we are actually standing almost in front of the hotel. Phew!  With Swiss precision we were whisked to our room for a quick but well deserved nap.

By dinner time, we were awake, but it was Sunday, in the rain, and we ended up eating at the closest little restaurant we could find...Sam's...specializing in American Cuisine...we ordered wine and a "Classic Burger." Ja..the meat is sausage...interesting, but probably more Swiss than American.

Back to the Hotel for a night cap, and bed.

Econolodge - New Brunswick, NJ

The day started like any other, a drive along gorgeous tree lined roads through the Green Mountains, with babbling brooks, covered bridges and quaint little villages.  Lunch at some lake in Northern New York...a quiet drive along the New York State Thruway, with the Hudson River on the left and the Catskills on the right.   But we all know what is just ahead.  By 4:00, everything we have come to love about RVing came to a grinding halt...we entered New Jersey.  With rush hour looming up, Deb wanted a plan...not some half baked...we'll know it when we see it plan...a real plan.  We pull off the Interstate, and I google "pet friendly hotel Morristown nj". I get a hit, Best Western... Key it into my trusty GPS... 11.4 miles....awesome... Pull in and go to register (complimentary red wine while checking in) but no dogs allowed.  WHAT?!?  Deb is checking the DMV website for a new vanity plate - IH8NJ

So finally, she just sat quietly while I searched for one of those two star, pet friendly hotels....we ended up at Econolodge.  Deb says all you really need is clean and comfortable.. I said, "well, one out of two isn't bad."

Quechee State Park -.Quechee, VT

Instead of heading south, we head west to New Hamphire.  I don't think we had ever been inland in Maine, we have always driven along the coast.  Each little town had that down east charm, you could have cast "Murder, She wrote" in any of them!  We ended up sending Nathan his birthday card, that we forgot to give him, from Naples....because we are going to Naples, Italy, in a month.  In hindsite, I guess it was a little cheesy, but at least we got the card mailed.

Well, our family meeting in North Conway got canned, so we headed south.  Our reservation for the night was too far away, so a quick replan left us at Quechee Gorge (about ten miles from where I lived in Vermont for awhile).  No utilities, just the smell of a pine forest.  So we parked the RV, built a small log home, and lived happily ever after.  Then I woke up.

Here's the problem.  We have commitments, so there is only one more night before we have to be home.  Going to Pennsylvania is too far, so it's gotta be New Jersey.  For some reason, New Jersey hates dogs.  There are no state campgrounds in Northern or Central New Jersey that allow dogs.  KOA hates New Jersey.  There are no KOA's in Northern or Central New Jersey.  Deb suggests a Pet Friendly motel... Okay, we gotta plan...

Paradise Park Resort - Old Orchard Beach, ME

Last year we asked Sie, my mother-in-law, what she wanted for her 80th birthday.  After awhile she decided - world peace or an end to hunger.  Apparently, she forgotten that we gave her that on her 75th.  So Deb's sister, Michelle and her husband Bob, kicked in, and we gave her a week at Paradise Park in a Old Orchard Beach, on the condition that we could throw a party for her.  So with two days of revelry including a BBQ feast, two campfires, breakfast at JJ's, and a chance for Lou, my father-in-law to go out on a fishing boat and watch other people catch fish, we caught up on all the family business.

As much as we try to disavow it...we are type "A" people.  There is always a plan. Our plan was to go south, visit an old friend, go to Bennington, VT, fly fish, on to Locust Lake in Pennsylvania and home.  NOPE....NOT GONNA HAPPEN

Surrey Lane - Pelham, NH

It's always a joy to stop at Surrey Lane (my sister-in-law's house). We drove from Rhode Island expecting rush hour traffic delays, but there were none. We expected flight delays for the kids coming into Manchester Airport, but there were none. So we got to Surrey Lane three hours before check-in but they were very accommodating. Pizza by the pool, drinks by the fire pit...even a good discussion about pigs and fainting goats.  Tomorrow...we fill the RV with stuff for the Birthday Party.

Burlingame State Park - Charlestown, RI

A full day of driving through New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.  Not really the image that you think of when RVing across America, but all the accidents were on the other side of the road. We calculated that we only lost one and a half hours to traffic.  The raw fact remains that we didn't get to our site until after five...a real RV nono!

Rhode Island was suppose to be our final state to visit of the lower 48.  We ended up missing Michigan, this summer, because of the storm closed roads.  Now technically, since we bought the RV on the Northern Peninsula of Michigan, we have been there.  Next year, we will get to Michigan, for a real visit.

Burlingame State Park is huge, very well maintained, but strict...NO ALCOHOL...ZERO TOLERANCE subject to arrest and imprisonment...that's what the sign said.  Picnic tables have the site number painted on... Driveways have huge boulders on the side to keep you in your spot.  Also it was NO utilities.  Well, we don't need no stinkin' power (and we can drink our wine out of a coffee mug).

Went to bed early so we could miss the traffic heading to Manchester Airport in New Hampshire to meet the kids' flight.  We were out of there by 7:00 or so.