Days 49-55 - Blog on!

Thought I’d give you all a quick recap on what we’ve been up to since Boston (day 48) up until day 55 – be prepared for a long one!!  After Boston we unexpectedly spent the following day in Salem - I studied Auther Miller’s The Crucible at college so I knew that Salem was the town where a mass witch hysteria had broken out in 1692 and people were hanged! 

Salem very much remembers the history and the town and is awash with “Witch” museums, shops, the taxis have a witch silhouette on them and other spooky things – they even have a “Dairy Witch” instead of a Dairy Queen fast food joint!  Although Salem has all this “tacky” stuff the museums have all been built in keeping with the theme and the actual town is really pretty.  Unlike Roswell, Salem has the right balance of fun tourist attractions but also has a nice community full of history, pretty houses and shops. 

We took a trolley bus hop on/hop off tour which picked us up at our RV park Winter Island and then into town (the tour guide told us that where we had parked was the site of the last public hanging in Salem!).  We hopped off at various points such as the witch dungeon where we watched a live reconstruction of a witch trial and learnt the history of the town. 

We also saw the gravestones with the hanged people’s last words on them (most proclaimed their innocence including a mother accused by her 7 year old daughter!).  Although Salem is known as “The Witch Town” the tour guide told us that no one believes there were any witches and it was just innocent people who got hanged (anyone who confessed to being a witch was spared the hanging).  The town takes it all with a pinch of salt but it’s a real fascinating place to visit.

After Salem we started making our way to Maine, thanks to the waitress in Boston we now had a destination -  Camden!   We spent three nights in Maine but could have spent longer as there are lush green mountains and then beaches and lakes.  Maine is known for its seafood so first on the list of things to try was lobster rolls - a guy at the first campsite we stayed in said there was only one place we must get them from and that was “Red’s Eats”. 

Red’s was not what we were expecting - we pictured a restaurant with cute red checked table cloths but as we drove nearer it became obvious that Reds was a shack by the side of a road with the longest queue beside it!  Well at least it was near a lake so a nice spot for lunch!  We must have queued for about 45 minutes and my mouth was watering watching everyone enjoying their food, luckily we made friends in the queue and chatted away till we got to the front.  This cute shack is world famous and has a massive list of quotes from where it’s been mention in magazines and on TV! 

We ordered the original Lobster roll, a pound and half of pure lobster meat in what looks like a hotdog bun (and of course two large root beers).  Bill and Anne Marie, the American couple we met in the queue, had saved seats at their table for us.  We had a great lunch with them swapping travel stories, they may be visiting London soon and if so I’ll save them a space at our table in a London restaurantJ

After lunch and our farewells we made our way to Camden (I kept picturing Camden in London), the town is situated around a harbour with a real relaxed vibe to it – people sit outside cafes just watching the world go by.  It was about 6pm by now so we headed to a campsite in a state park that had been recommended to us.  During our trip we have stayed in both campsites and state parks, state parks are more basic than campsites and don’t have things like swimming pools or Wi-Fi but have prettier views and therefore I’d rather stay in state parks. 

This state park, Camden Hills, was very picturesque with its forest of trees and many paths for nature walks.  We decided to go to the local shops to buy marshmallows and hotdogs to have around the campfire.  The people in the local shop were really friendly and suggested we have “S’mores” (which we were told are Graham Crackers with a Hershey bar in them and toasted marshmallows – an American campfire tradition!)  We bought the supplies and while at the checkout a woman in front of us said “oh S’mores I love them” – think we made a good choice!  On leaving the shop the sky had turned black and the heavens had opened – no way was this rain going to clear up so we’d better wait ‘til another night to have the S’mores!

The next day the sun was shining so we headed off to see more of Camden.  First we went on a trail to a high point where you can see spectacular views of the harbour.  We then did a little hike up to Battie Tower for more picturesque views of this stunning Maine landscape.  

We drove to the harbour popping in to the little shops selling arts and crafts and souvenirs.  For lunch we sat in a seafood restaurant overlooking the harbour and ordered crab cakes and a massive whole lobster to share.  

When it arrived Oli showed no mercy and made me be the first to crack it – I don’t even like shelling a prawn but I had to give this scary creature a go!  Totally worth the mess as it was the most delicious lobster we’ve had on this whole trip so far…but I suspect there may more to come!

After a long lazy lunch we sadly had to leave Maine and start heading towards Canada.  Oli’s twin sister Suzie lives there with her husband Joe and we couldn’t come all this way and not pop in and see them!

The drive to Canada through Maine to New Hampshire and then the tip of Vermont I think has been my favourite stretch of drive so far.  Yes the Blue Ridge Parkway was impressive but this was just as pretty but felt more hidden.  We hardly passed any cars during the 6 hours so it felt like we had this lush hilly road to ourselves.

It was strange nearing the end of that scenic drive, knowing that soon we’d be out of America and crossing the border to Canada.  At the customs stop sign we were told not to leave the vehicle as we handed over our passports to the immaculate looking officer.  Oli was panicking slightly and stated to fidget like we had done something wrong but I was in a chatty mood and couldn’t stop talking to the officer when he returned.  

He asked us questions like, why we were here (to visit Oli’s sister I said), will we be here long (hope not I slipped up) and had we got any gifts worth over $60 (crap that reminded me I forgot to get Suzie a present)!  My face turned to panic when I said “oh crap I forgot to get his sister a present, how bad am I?!”.  Oli mumbled “stop talking” and the officer looked sternly at me before his face creased into a smile and he replied shockingly “ma’am you are fabulous!!!!  That lightened the mood - we all laughed, he handed our passports back stamped for Canada and we were offJ 

It took about two days to drive to where Oli’s sister Suzie lives in Canada, a place called Dundas about an hour from Toronto.    The days passed really quickly and now seem a blur but the things I remember were that Canada seemed pretty and green with flat fields (the closest I’d seen to an English countryside).  We stopped at two different campsites for the two nights before getting to Suzie, and Oli and I tried to be like real campers.  We built camp fires and finally got to toast marshmallows and make S’mores.  The Hershey’s tasted a bit bitter (or like poo as I kept saying) so we adapted the S’mores to have Nutella instead and they were totally yummy! 

One night I cooked a pizza (this was the first time I’d used the oven) and it burnt – not my fault, defo the stupid oven, so we had hotdogs round the fire and toasted more marshmallows.  We sat round the campfire and chatted into the dark nights, one night while we were sitting out I heard a rustling in the bushes behind us from which appeared a porcupine – I resisted the temptation to scream and we just sat and watched it in the dark until it disappeared.  We have seen a lot of wildlife on this trip (the wild bear in the Blue Ridge Parkway was a sight I’ll never forget) but seeing chipmunks for the first time was a real treat!  My experience of chipmunks is Alvin, Simon and Theodore from the cartoon so when this tiny little striped fluffy thing ran past us I squealed in delight – I love staying in these campsites ‘cos you just don’t know what you’re going to see!

We finally got to Suzie on 16^th July and it was really nice but strange to see familiar faces after 7 weeks.  Suzie and Joe took us out for dinner that night where we enjoyed cocktails, good food and had a right old catch upJ  The next day we went to brunch at Cora.  The menu had soooo much yummy choice that it took us ages to order but we were in no rush. 

Afterwards we drove about an hour to go cherry picking, we were just in time as we were told today was the last day of the season – phew I was wearing my “cherry picking “ outfit complete with fruit flip-flops and a headscarf, what a waste that would have been!  We started our cherry picking adventure by boarding a tractor which took us into the orchards.  As soon as we were in Suzie was up a tree picking away – she had clearly done this before!! 

We enjoyed our couple of hours there, I for one had red/purple lips by the time we finished (Suzie told me to try them as we picked!).  We had a fab time picking/eating cherries, I broke a strap on my flip-flop but that was the only casualty of the afternoon.  We got back around 7pm with time for a shower and change before all heading out to dinner.  Joe had booked us into the the CN Tower restaurant in Toronto but due to Oli and I having problems at our campsite with the electricity supply we were late. 

Once in Joe’s nifty convertible he said he’d be able to get us there just a little later than expected – then we hit massive amounts of traffic and no matter which diversion Joe took we ended up back in traffic!  Time for plan B as it was getting late and we were all hungry, we pulled off the freeway and went into a Milestones restaurant instead.  The food was yet again yummy with even yummier cocktails!  The only downer for that night was when we got back to the RV park the owner was waiting up for us (they didn’t have a card machine and we didn’t have cash so told them we’d get money out while at dinner, and we did).  We told him we were worried the electric still wouldn’t work and he insisted that his voltage was fine and it was “us” – I assure you it wasn’t “us” but the voltage was wrong, we haven’t had any trouble at any other campsite then or since! 

Anyway cut a long story short his wife popped her head out of the window and said “I’m calling the police” – why because we were worried/complaining about the voltage??  They were without doubt the rudest people I have ever met, it may have been 1am but there was noooo way we were going to be treated like “trailer trash” and pay them money for the privilege!  We drove out and within 10 minutes we found a beautiful quite alcove to park in for the nightJ

The next day we headed to Hamilton Beach.  The sandy shore is situated along lake Ontario, another of the great lakes.  We walked along the beach and had lunch overlooking it.  More strolling along for a couple of hours and an ice cream later at around 5:30pm we soon had to say goodbye to Suzie and Joe.  It was great to catch up with them both, the day after we left they were actually flying to the UK for two weeks, we look forward to catching up again with them when they are back in the UK for ChristmasJ

The four of us in the RV before saying goodbye

I have written a couple more blogs summing up what we’ve been up to over the last week and will upload soon if you still fancy reading!

J&O

Day 48 - Cheers to Boston!

My name is Lulu and it’s been over two weeks since I last blogged!!!  Where do I start….Boston!  We spent a couple of days in Boston from 11^th July and as a treat booked into a Mariott Suite hotel for a couple of nights.  This was a welcome relief as I had been unwell for a couple of days with a severe headache so staying in one place for a bit did me the world of goodJ

After a day or two round the hotel pool to recoup we finally ventured into the heart of Boston via the overground train and what a lovely surprise it was. 

Skyscrapers surround historic buildings unlike anywhere I have seen before.  Although built up, Boston still finds space for its common, a beautiful grassy area with a shallow pool where we saw children splash away in delight and shriek with laughter when the fountain was turned on sporadically.  Oli told me that in winter the pool turns into an ice skating rink – how beautiful that must look!  Although the city was alive with traffic you feel a world away sitting on the common surrounded by trees and people sitting under shady trees to relieve them from the hot sun.  

With a picnic we bought in the local shops we too sat under a huge tree on the common for an hour and watched the world go by…this was the closest I felt to home, just us two sitting in a park it all felt very “normal” and for a few moments I forgot we were miles away from home!

After our picnic we strolled around the common stopping to look at the various monuments and sights such as an old fashioned carousel.  With a map in hand we started to head for the Freedom Trail which is a historical 2.5 mile tour of the city on foot – even without a map you can do this tour as there is a red brick line on the floor of the city leading the way for you to follow! 

Not on the route but top of Oli’s “historical sites” to see was the 1990’s cult tv show Cheers bar (where everybody knows your name…) The outside of the bar is where the exterior shots are filmed.  The bar is actually called the Bull and Finch but also has the Cheers sign and is a real tourist attraction.  You can go inside but it’s a bit of a disappointment for fans as you expect it to be as seen on the tv but it’s nothing like that – Oli was not impressed and didn’t even want to stay for a root beer!

So we finally got started on the Freedom Trail tour, the red bricks took us to sights such as The Massachusetts State House with it’s gold leaf domed roof, the site of the first ever public school in the US and the Old South Meeting House where the Boston Tea Party started.  

Other sights included the house of Paul Revere who made the famous midnight horseback ride to warm the Americans that “The British are coming, the British are coming”!  There were loads of other interesting things along the way but far too many to name them all. 

We also popped into what is claimed to be the oldest tavern in America called the Bell in Hand tavern.  Unfortunately it didn’t have root beer and with a thirst only that would satisfy we ended up stopping off nearby in a deli called Nick Varano’s.  This little place has bags of charm, walls covered in old newspapers and photos of celebs in the deli.  We wondered up and down the area known as “Little Italy” - my fave place there was a cupcake shop called “Lulu’s”!  

We’d seen one in Savannah but this was another independent.  The tiny shop was crammed with goodies in an array of colours and flavours, on the wall were pictures of “Lulu” the owner – glad she was also a blonde!  The young girl behind the counter was super excited that I was wearing a pink Wonder Woman vest (I bought it in Florida).  She then had a 5 minute outburst of her love for Wonder Woman – seriously this girl was a hard core comic book fan and seemed to think I was, just because of what I was wearing….didn’t have the heart to tell her I just bought it because it was pink!!

With all the culture and fab restaurants in Boston how on earth would we pick a place to have dinner!  Well in the end there was only one place to eat –the oldest continuously serving restaurant in the US “The Union Oyster House”!  Although it was a Monday night the place was packed, even booked reservations were running 30 minutes behind – blimey this place must be good!  We were told we had a 45 minute wait, with our bellies grumbling we grabbed a booth near the bar and ordered our starters there (clever us) and the choice was simple - Boston clam chowder! 

We’d never had it before and me not being a soup person (Heinz tomato the best I can do) I wasn’t sure if I would like it.  The creamy lumpy bowl was put in front of me, it smelled really good so I grabbed a spoon and dug in if slightly hesitantly.  As I brought the steaming spoon to my lips I closed my eyes and put the lumpy soup-like stuff into my mouth….hold on a minute, I thought, this is really yummy!! 

We did wait just under an hour to get the table upstairs but while we waited downstairs we were proper tourists and took photos of everything including the live lobsters in the tank awaiting their conclusive fate!  The curved oyster bar downstairs for those just wanting a quick bite was turning over continuously while we waited, a curly haired ginger man seated on a stall was talking loudly and entertaining the customers..he may have entered the restaurant alone but left with a bunch of new friends which made me smileJ

Finally we got our table upstairs and this charming, wooden almost boat-like décor was really charismatic.  Although we waited a while to give our order we were given corn bread to nibble on.  If you’ve never had it it’s nothing like bread, it’s sweet and has a cake-like texture, it’s soooo yummy, but I do feel like I’m having dessert before my main course!  Although I enjoyed the chowder I was a bit fished out and where I hadn’t been well, today was the first day I’d eaten for a few days so I thought I’d better play it safe and opt for plain chicken and boiled rice.  Oli on the other hand went straight for the medium lobster at $40 dollars.  Complete with his bib on he tucked into the lobster with his tips from the waitress on how to break and eat it.  Oli can be messy at the best of times with food so here he was in his element, the phrase “don’t play with your food” can be excused when eating a whole lobster although I draw the line on Oli using the lobster to wave at me and becoming its puppeteer!!

The waitress clearing our plates (and Oli’s mess) was lovely, she had been rushed off her feet all night but couldn’t stop chatting to us (the English travellers).  She lives in Boston but travels a lot and recently came back from a tour of Europe.  We told her we were heading to Maine the day after tomorrow and she gave us some good tips of exactly whereabouts to go.  Watching a programme nearly a year ago on Stephen Fry travelling America he went to Maine and had lobster – that was our whole reason for going there and we hadn’t a clue exactly where to go!  She (Tegan) told us of a place in Maine called Camden and said it was near to beaches and the mountains so thanks to her we had our destination sorted!

With our bellies full on good food and Oli’s cheeks slightly rosy from the ale it was time to head back to catch a train home.  The short walk to the station soon made us wish we had got our bill sooner, the next train was 50 minutes away so we did what we do best – got a taxi!

The taxi driver was Brooklyn born and couldn’t stop talking at us for a full 20 mins, I definitely met my match!  He loves English music and sounds like he has an amazing collection of memorabilia, Beatles autographs, Stones autographs and things like The Who's tambourine.  He told me the best scam I've ever heard.  

He said years ago Elton John was in concert in the US and he couldn't get any tickets for love nor money, on the radio there was a competition to win 4 Elton J tickets.  Think he said all you had to do was call up and be the number of the radio station i.e caller 102.  He rang up but of course didn't win – but that didn't stop him!  The cheeky monkey rushed down to the radio station and proclaimed he was the lucky winner of the tickets (he remembered the real winners name) and without question they just gave him the tickets for that night!!  Gets better!  He then admitted he's never told his wife this but another time he couldn't get tickets for Rod Stewart, he had found a Policeman's badge and before handing it in he saw ticket touts and said he would have to arrest them if they didn't hand over their Rod Stewart tickets – his crafty tactic worked and he and friends went to the concert!

Finally back at the RV we had nowhere to park up, we drove around for what felt like hours and asking hotels if we could park in their car park overnight (one lady said we could for $50 – stuff that!). We eventually parked up in a car park behind a pet store and managed to have a restful sleep if only for a few hoursJ

Boston apparently is beautiful in the autumn, but it was also beautiful when we saw it at the beginning of summer…and I imagine just as beautiful in winter with its snow and ice rink – I can only conclude that Boston must be beautiful all year round and would definitely want to go back there someday!

J&O

Day 44 - Blogging off!

Today has been a strange day, Oli was pulled over by police (nothing serious we were on a road RV’s not supposed to be on but he v understanding and gave us directions) and Oli got all quiet and thoughtful when we visited the hospital where he was born in New Jersey and his first home.  His thinking about “life” got us talking a lot and I don’t know how to break this to you but this will be my last blog – nothing like breaking it gently eh?!  Oli has asked me to stop writing it, after my what, why and a few words later he won me over with his argument.  We are halfway through our trip exactly and he says we have to really make the most of it, he said we should use every minute here to “be here” and not spend time writing about it – and there’s me thinking I was getting quicker at typing!

As much as I’ve loved typing the blog it does take up time…not so much typing it but then uploading all the pictures, resizing them etc so yeah it is time we could spend doing other things.  Oli also made a good point that every time we write it we are counting the days ‘til we’re back and as much as we miss our family and friends he says that as soon as he’s back at work he’ll be wishing he was here again!  Maybe we’ll write a blog every couple of weeks or so…or start up again after a rest - maybe this can be end of act one with a long intermission!!

We’ve had a great trip so far and had some great experiences, yeah we’ve had a few tiffs along the way but when you’re spending every single moment together in a limited amount of space you’re bound to argue (a continuous one is me criticising how stressy he gets when driving and he retorts with he’s the one doing all the driving in an RV ‘cos I can’t drive…fair point I guess)!

I couldn’t have done this trip without Oli (not just cos he literally does all the driving) so I think I owe it to him to stop blogging for a bit and talking about memories and just enjoy making more over the next 6 weeks!

Thanks to all of you who have taken time out of your day to read the blog and all the lovely comments were really appreciated.  I’m sure we’ll have lots of stories to tell when we’re back home as we still have loads of places to visit like Boston, Maine, Canada, Chicago, Mount Rushmore, Seattle, San Fran to name a few!  With all those in mind we better get a move on!

You've been a great audience, good night, god bless...and then I take my bow and exit the stage!

J&O blogging off! 

Day 43 - Under the boardwalk!

As we drove the 10 miles back into Atlantic City from the campsite, we noticed getting nearer that the huge hotels we'd  seen yesterday dominating the skyline today appeared to be shrouded in fog so we couldn't see the top of them!  On the ground it's really warm and as you walk past the buildings you can actually see the fog/mist rolling off them.

It took us quite a while to find a parking space for the monster as we need at least two car spaces to fit Harvey in. We parked around one of the side streets near to a restaurant called "The Atlantic City Bar and Grill", a local's favourite.

Inside there was a low mirrored ceiling, and the walls were covered with old black and white photographs of Atlantic City in it's heyday in the 1950s and 1960s (Miss America was held here every year until about 5 years ago).  A nice touch to this restaurant is that flat scene TV shows the daily specials being prepared so you can see just how good they are!  Oli tried their burger with crab meat and me their famous ribs...think the ones I had in Texas were better!

After lunch we made our way to the boardwalk, it's over 4 miles long in total.  The weather had started off very foggy but the sun did manage to shine through later in the afternoon.  

We spent a good few hours on the boardwalk, going on the pier, in the casinos and in the souvenir shops (really once you had been in one they all sold the same stuff).  A few of the shops were selling live iguanas and hermit crabs with individually painted shells - slightly bizarre and possibly cruel!

There are loads of pushchair type trolleys called "rolling chairs" that you can sit in while you get pushed along the boardwalk, not just old biddies but it seemed a popular tourist attraction - well when in Rome.....  The ride along the sea front was cute, you go at a snails pace but no one is in any rush and nor were we.  We decided to stop and get out towards one end of the boardwalk but still a couple of miles from the end and started to slowly walk back. 

We saw the Boardwalk Hall, this is where the Miss America beauty pageant was held, now the likes of the American Idol tour stops there to perform.  We weren't allowed in but the security guard was v friendly, he told us he used to work in Caesar's Casino for 25 years and in his first year there saw someone win a million dollars on the slot machine - if that wasn't a big enough incentive to go in one then I don't know what is!

A sweet shop with a replica Lucy the elephant!

Along the boardwalk and the street behind it there are the hotel's entrances and shopping malls, all very plush, but then just a street or two after the area does seem to be slightly run down.  There is a lot of rubbish on the streets, abandoned car lots, sleazy shops and bars - not the place to be at night!

It was a relaxing day just plodding along the boardwalk, but around 7pm we thought we should start heading onwards.  Once back in the monster we felt it was a bit late to start heading to our next destination and we were tired so decided to head back to the campsite we stayed at last night.  

New Jersey's Korean War memorial

Picked up some shopping on the way back.  The American family in the RV parked next to ours are really friendly, they have two dogs with them, a little yappy Yorkshire Terrier, Daisy, and a placid Shih Tzu called Mango who just loves to be stroked and paid attention and I just love to stroke and pay attention to him:-)

Think we're heading North through New Jersey tomorrow and will see Oli's birthplace and first home.  His dad mentioned a few other places to have a look at for memory's sake so hopefully we will be able to see all the "sights" but only have a couple of hours there.  How strange to finally see where my Oli was born (in Summit NJ) - we live in Bermondsey, a place I grew up in, and Oli has seen practically everywhere I've ever been so tomorrow will be really special:-)

J&O

Day 42 - I Love Lucy!

By the time we woke up this morning it seemed like most of the people at the campsite had upped and left.  With July 4th over it was the end of their long weekend - but luckily not for us!

We soon followed suit though and began our 3 hour drive towards Atlantic City.  On the way we briefly passed through the state of Delaware, catching glimpses of the suburbs along the drive, including a big flashy diner.  Not too long after we made it to the state of New Jersey!

Arriving in Atlantic City it was a lot bigger than I thought it would be - I imagined the boardwalk with just a few shops and not much else.  There were massive hotels and casinos along the front, including a Caesar's Palace, a Trump hotel and a Tropicana hotel, also situated on the Las Vegas strip.

Look at me sitting on her foot!

Before heading towards the main boardwalk we took a little detour about 10 minutes down the road as we'd read about a roadside attraction just off the beach.  We were on the lookout for a giant elephant - it shouldn't be too hard to spot, and there it was - bigger and brighter than I had imagined!

Me inside Lucy's belly!

The elephant, or Lucy as she's called, dates from 1881.  A property developer had wanted a gimmick to attract people to live in Margate, just south of Atlantic City.  It worked for a short while, but then after a year he sold it.  During its time it became a tavern and a private home - the elephant is hollow with staircases, one main floor and a viewing platform right on top of the elephant's back!

The view from Lucy's eye!

It was seven dollars each to have a tour inside Lucy, you enter via Lucy's left hind leg, and the steep narrow spiral staircase takes you up into her belly.  There are windows and a few small steps take you to her head, and you can actually look out of her eyes to the view of the beach - strange but fun!  They played a short film with old footage of Lucy, explaining her history.

Oli on top of Lucy

After years of neglect she was about to be demolished to make way for condominiums, but through community fundraising she was saved and then restored to her former glory.  She is now the oldest purpose-built roadside attraction in the US, and the largest elephant in the world, at 90 tons and 65 feet high!  Go Lucy!

It was early evening by now and we hadn't booked a campsite to stay at but we wanted to have a quick stroll on the boardwalk.  The first thing that struck me when we got out of the RV was the beautiful smell of the sea and fresh air.  As we got closer to the boardwalk I could smell the sweet smell of sugary doughnuts.  My stomach gave a little lurch and I realised it was time for dinner!  We grabbed a seat and a slice of pizza each and sat watching "Jersey Shore" types strutting past us!  It had a real laid-back vibe and I'm looking forward to going back there tomorrow and spending some proper time on and off the boardwalk.

We found a campsite about 10 miles away which we've settled down for the night in.  We're thinking that we may stay tomorrow night as well so we can have a full day and two nights in Atlantic City, but we'll see what way the wind takes us tomorrow!

J&O