Wandering America
August 2007 - Part I
We were featured as "RVers of the Month" for August 2007 by RV Resources
| Workamping Update Friends can be sooo cruel!!! In the last travelogue I was accused of "whining" about workamping and some of you even wrote to me about a small violinist playing some of sort heart song. In any event, I thought that I would justify myself by including a picture of the view out of my office window (notice my feet sticking out from under the desk while I'm hard at work).  Now, just maybe, you can fully understand the hardships that I'm dealing with out here and hopefully will be a little more sympathetic toward me in the future. Keep in mind that I'm making this sacrifice just so you guys can continue on with your career aspirations without having to deal with these kinds of annoyances and distractions. Just keep telling yourselves that a bad day at work is better than a good day of floating down a river in a canoe!!!! Bolton's Landing and Sagamore Hotel Some of our fellow workamers told us how much they enjoyed the village of Bolton's Landing so we decided to take an evening trip up Route 9N along the west side of Lake George to see for ourselves and were not disappointed. It is a small tourist village with plenty of eateries but not much parking. They also have two village parks right on Lake George. It definitely is a "cute" little village and is fun to walk about. We didn't get any pictures of the village as it was getting dark.  On the north end of the village we saw a sign for the Sagamore Hotel. The Sagamore Hotel has a history for it's opulence and elegance hosting the National Governor's Conference in 1954 with Vice President Richard Nixon presiding. It was started by four very wealthy gentlemen who purchased Green Island which is right off the shores of Bolton's Landing and opened its doors in 1883. The hotel was destroyed by fire twice and was totally rebuilt in 1930. It fell into disrepair and closed its doors in 1981. Then in 1983, one hundred years after the opening of the first Sagamore, the hotel was purchased by a Philadelphia developer and restored to its original beauty. Today the hotel is bustling with guests who enjoy some of the most picturesque views of Lake George and the surrounding mountains.    We drove out to the island where we met Dave Todriff who gave us a mini tour of the hotel. Dave is the security officer and was kind enough to let us wander about the property. There are several dining areas throughout the complex - the Trillium Bis with a more formal atmosphere and fine dining, the Sagamore Dining Room with a less formal atmosphere, Mr. Brown's Pub is an Adirondack-style Pub for casual dining, the Veranda for outside dining and drinks, and the Cabana for dining picnic style, the Club Grill which is on the golf course, the Pavilion for lobster bakes on the lakeside, and the Morgan which is a dinner cruise on the lake.       The grounds are beautifully
landscaped and manicured with flowers everywhere and, needless to say,
there are indoor swimming pools and spas. We need to come back
just for diner some evening before we leave New York.
  Before we left Bolton's Landing we visited Roger's Memorial Park which overlooks Green Island and the Sagamore. There was an evening concert in progress so we decided to stay awhile and listen. It was a local group with the Postmaster playing bass guitar and the music was very good.   While we were there the Steamship Company's St. Sacrement dinner cruise ship passed by blowing its whistle. Just gotta love these small communities with their outdoor summer concerts on the green.  A Trip to the "High Peaks" The Adirondack Park encompasses 6 million miles of land of which we are staying in the southeastern corner. We decided to take a day trip to Lake Placid which was home to the 1932 and 1980 winter Olympics and is located in what is known as the "High Peaks" area of the Adirondacks. While on our way to Lake Placid we took a detour to Whiteface Mountain to see what we could see (and yes, we saw the other side of the mountain). Whiteface is the fifth highest mountain in New York at 4867 feet above sea level and is the only one accessible by car via the five-mile Veteran's Memorial Drive. The highway ends at the two story Whiteface Castle which houses a gift shop and restaurant as well as the much needed rest rooms. From the "castle" you have to hike to the summit where the Summit House and the Weather Silo is located (or you could take an elevator, but what fun would that be?). This was a steep climb over boulders but features some incredible views. The temperature at the summit on this fine August day was 47 degrees (some 30+ degrees cooler than at the bottom of the mountain), but this was a "clear" day with those big billowy marshmallow like clouds just floating in the sky and a 75 mile visibility.            On our way from Whiteface Mountain to Lake Placid we passed by High Falls Gorge; being that we are workamping at Lake George Escape we had free admission. The waterfalls are at the foot of Whiteface Mountain on the West Branch of the Ausable River. We love waterfalls and these are pretty but we have seen nicer waterfalls and wouldn't have wanted to pay the admission to see them.   Lake Placid is a tourist village with lots of "cute" little shops and not very much available downtown parking. They do provide a free Park and Ride system where you can park outside of the village and take the trolley into town. After hiking on the mountain we were just not interested in walking around the village looking at the same type gift shops that we have in Lake George, so we only did a drive through. We passed the 1980 winter Olympics speed skating track and Olympics Center which are located right next to the high school. Skating events continue to take place at the Olympic Center.   On our way out of the village, heading east on route 73, we came across the Olympic Ski Jumping Complex. The complex consists of two jumps, the 90 meter and the 120 meter with only the 90 meter jump is being used at the present time. We took the elevator ride up the 120 meter jump to the skydeck from which we could go out to an observation deck to get a view down the hill. Those people gotta be nuts to jump off that thing!!!! Talk about going down hill in a hurry!!!!    Located right behind the ski jumps is the historic site of John Brown's Farm and burial place. Being a history nut this was an unexpected treat. John Brown was an anti-slavery activist who established the farm in 1849 to provide guidance and assistance to freed slaves attempting to establish communities in the area. However, Brown never did spend much time at the farm due to his involvement in the pro-/anti-slavery conflict in Kansas. He continued to make occasional visits to the farm until he led the raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, VA in October of 1859 in which he was captured, tried, and executed. Brown's wife had his body returned to New York where he was buried on the farm.   Route 73 is designated as a Scenic By-Way and it's no wonder. It meanders through the mountains with streams flowing along the sides of the road. It is a very beautiful drive and very relaxing to drive along at 45 to 50 miles per hour, especially when you are in no hurry and can take time to enjoy the beauty.   Getting Ready to Move On We have three more weeks here before we leave and as always. after we have stayed in one place for any length of time, there is a list of things to do to get ready to move. They are small things but as the politician said, "a billion here and a billion there and it starts to add up to some serious money." Well, a small item here and a small item there and before long we have quite a list. It's all minor stuff like restringing a day/nite shade over the desk, get a new system for latching the closet doors (the plastic snaps sold at RV stores just don't last), I've dropped a couple of things down the heat vents that need to be retrieved, the kitchen cabinets need to be rearranged for travel, as well as the routine travel checklist to go through. So we will begin "ticking" a few items off the list each day and should be more than ready to roll come September 5th. I look forward to getting to Maine and sitting in the driveway at our old family home. This is the house that my mom and dad purchased back in 1949. It was the only home that I ever knew until I went off to college. Today my brother Mike and his wife Shauna own the home and are busy restoring it to the early 1900 period - it's amazing to think our old homestead is over 100 years old. I will help my brother paint the north side of the house if it is not already done - that will conjure up a few memories. Mostly we plan on just "hanging out" in Belfast for a week or two (depending on the weather). I want to ride my bike downtown, walk to the park, sit in the backyard, and, who knows, maybe build a fort in the back field. Then there's my best friend's farm with over a hundred acres of land to re-explore again and I can't forget the airport where so much of my childhood was spent (maybe even go for a plane ride). Also, I have several old classmates that still live in the area that I should stop by and say "hi" to - will a couple of weeks be enough time? You'll just have to stay tuned. |