Day 2 - Gorham, NH

The best laid plans ....  Did you notice that we are not in Vermont?

We did not get on the road yesterday until after 2 pm. Weren't we aiming for 10 or 11? Around 1:00 we decided to have a PB&J sandwich (haven't had one of those in years) and review all of our exit lists. Don had put PT out in the trailer for a pre-trip potty break. Before sitting down for lunch, he went out to check on her. Fifteen minutes later he is still not back in the house. I went out to the trailer and he said he couldn't find the cat! Four-Bit, the trailer, is small, only 21 feet, so losing a cat is very strange. Don had a flashlight and was checking every nook and cranny, but no PT. I finally started digging behind the sofa, which was loaded with stuff, and saw one eye staring up at me under the piles. Guess PT was not really excited about going camping....

As it got later, Don thought maybe we should wait until Tuesday morning to leave. I voted to just get on the road. Learning "flexibility" while traveling seemed like the message of the moment. I pulled out Woodall's Campground Guide and started looking for places in NH to camp, since going four or five hours to VT seemed like a stretch. When you're already tired, pulling into a campground to set up at 7 or 8 pm seemed like a poor idea. This also was our first solo trip, as our other three test-run trips were with friends - the Floyds and the Burhans.

Woodall's directed us to Timberland Campground in Gorham, NH, just 5 miles over the Maine border. We pulled in and started setting up at 5:30ish. Good call, as we were laughing and almost punch-drunk as we set up camp. You know how Winnie-the-Pooh keeps saying, "Think, think, think." That's what it felt like --- first we do what? Stablizers down, chocks under wheels, turn on the water, bring in the cat --- what order???

Four-Bit got settled in finally and we headed out to Mr. Pizza - great place with the Cracker Jack Lounge. After a martini, a toast or two, and a good fresh fried haddock and Maine shrimp dinner, we felt sooooo much better!

This morning we figured out why the furnace quit - air in the propane hose when switching tanks - and how to get the cable TV to work - tightening campground cable connection.  We're still learning all the in's and out's of living in Four-Bit. Mighty chilly last night, so I'm glad the furnace is back on. Don remembered that the ducted air conditioner also has a heat strip, so we were toasty.

We met a nice recently retired couple camping behind us from Maryland. They left for Acadia today. We chatted for awhile giving them pointers on what to see in Maine and then we scurried out for our big tourist adventure of the day - driving the Mount Washington Auto Road.

Mt. Washington is the highest peak in the northeast. The auto road is a very winding 8 miles up to a top elevation 6288 feet. At the base it says, "If you have a problem with heights, you may not want to do this." Don does not like heights, but what the heck. By the time we got to the top, both of us had sweaty hands. This only lasted for a few minutes, as it was 33 degrees with 40 mile an hour winds! The mountain has 100 days per year with hurricane force winds. In 1934 the wind on the mountain set a record speed of 239 miles per hour, the strongest of any land record on earth. Winter of 1968 & 69, there was 74 feet of snow! How lucky for us that it was a clear day with visibility of 100 miles. Tomorrow they are predicting sleet, high winds and maybe snow on the top. Today is the last day of summer, so I guess that says it all.

Before closing today, we do want to thank all our friends and family for your prayers and well-wishes as we head out on this journey.