Niagara Falls

Since I have managed to get way behind on our blog, I am going to skip past a few details to catch up. From Montreal, we drove along Lake Superior and Lake Ontario to Four Mile Creek State Park in New York. From there, we visited Niagara Falls, which was only 15 min. away. I don't know if it was the rainy weather, but it felt more like checking one of those huge tourist attractions off the list than a rewarding experience. The Falls are spectacular, and we took the time to walk over the bridge to view them from the Canadian side. They have really managed to turn this into a Disneyland-like place: thrill-seeking rides, wax museums, and arcade rooms galore. There's really nothing else to do here, so we played a few of those motorcycle racing and shooting games. I think I quenched at least five years of needing to enter one of those places again, but I wouldn't put money on shaune: if left alone, I have a strong feeling I would find him riding one of those plastic motorcycles, shifting gears, dazed by the video screen.

A week was about 6 days too long here, but Shaune got some work done, which put us in a good place for our next stop: Chicago! We were in the prime of upstate New York's apple season, and nearly every block were stands selling baskets full of a variety of apples. We were also lucky to catch the tomato season up here, one week longer than we had anticipated for fresh tomatoes.

Biking the Lachine Canal

Montreal

Determined to see why everyone talks beams about Montreal as one of the greatest cities, we decided to drive in with our bikes early on the morning we were set to leave. We started near the beginning of the Lachine canal, a bike path that stretches 15 miles along the canal. The canal was once filed in after it was no longer used for shipping, but in the 70s the city began revitalizing the area. It was our first sunny day, and the biking along the canal was fantastic. Old warehouses were being converted into lofts, and you could see how quickly this area is changing. We happened to hit bike rush hour: many locals use the path to get to and from work. We had uninterrupted views of the city, as well as the biosphere that seems to float up from the trees like a gigantic air bubble.

At last, Montreal has redeemed itself. After a few hours biking, we got back to the RV in time to pack up and head out. On to Niagara Falls!

Montreal Botanical Gardens

On Sunday, we spent the entire day at the Montreal Botanical Gardens. It was pretty spectacular, despite the threatening weather. Montreal's is the second largest botanical garden in the world (London's is the largest). We were lucky to catch the annual lantern festival in the Chinese gardens. Here are a few pictures.

Week in Montreal

September 3-10

A week at this campsite was probably three days too long, but we both took advantage of the wireless Internet service and access to Montreal.

Getting into Montreal was quite expensive using public transportation, so we chanced it and drove our car in. Fortunately, we found a place to park near Old Town and spent the day walking around. Montreal definitely has a European feel, I would say most comparable to Brussels. We walked through Chinatown, Old Town, and the Plateau area, where we had the famous smoked meat sandwiches standing up at a little Hungarian meat shop. They were likely the same as the ones sold just down the road at Schwartz, the one that made a mention in the guidebooks. The architecture in Old Town isn't that spectacular, a bit dark and conservative, but there were some interesting contemporary art galleries. One in particular focused on graffiti artwork, which is ubiquitous in Montreal.

Montreal is definitely a hip city, with an abundance of cafes, clothing boutiques and restaurants. One of the best outdoor markets that I have ever visited, the Jean-Talon market in the northern part of town near Little Italy, nearly made the entire trip worth it for me. I don't think I have ever seen such variety, all of which was from the Quebec area. Strawberries, blackberries, purple, red, white, yellow potatoes, small and large leeks, huge bunches of basil and parsley, baskets of red, yellow, orange and green bell peppers, and on and on. There were also more high-end stalls selling exotic mushrooms, smoked meats, cheeses, etc. I was pretty much in heaven. It was here that I realized what was missing in my backpack travels throughout Asia: I was never able to actually buy and cook any of the fresh food that I always drooled over at the markets. It is so wonderful to shop at these places on our travels and bring back bags of local food to cook up.

On the road to Montreal

September 2-3, 2008

There really is no direct way of getting from Acadia National Park to Montreal, so we settled in on the state roads and wound our way through small New England towns and hilly terrain for a few days. The drive through rural Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont was spectacular. The New England we have seen so far boasts a subtle beauty: rail roads skirting gentle rivers, iron bridges straddling the banks of towns, old church steeples breaking the sky, and sleepy bed and breakfasts open for business. The leaves were just starting to change, I imagine a few weeks later the hillsides will be bursting will vibrant colors.

Although the backroads are far more interesting, we were averaging about 30 mph, so it took us a few days and one Wal-Mart stop (one of the best views from the White Mountains) to get to the Canadian border. Our GPS system malfunctioned in Canada, and put us on some terrible single track roads for about 30 miles. Arriving at our new campground, the very large Camping Alouette 15 minutes outside of Montreal, was completely different than either of us had imagined. Situated in an farming valley dotted with cornfields, warehouses, and factories, the area didn't seem to offer very many redeeming qualities, as far as we could tell. Actually, since our campground was just off the Interstate 20, it was probably the least appealing spot so far.

To make matters worse, many of the campers here were retirees living in their motorhomes permanently. The highlight of the day seemed to be sweeping off the front mat and adjusting the awning. Not exactly our thing, but it was the closest spot to the city.

More photos of Acadia

I thought I would devote this posting to photos from Acadia. From top:
Pete near Otter Cliffs
View of Otter Cliffs on a hike


Windswept Boris at 5am on a trip to watch sunrise over Cadillac Mountain.
Sunrise (it was cloudy)


One of the carriage roads, the leaves were just starting to change.

Week in Acadia

Aug. 22-Sept. 2, 2008

Despite a bad Internet connection, we ended up spending over a week in Acadia. Shaune did most of his work at an Internet cafe in the quaint town of Southwest Harbor. Most of our time was spent hiking, kayaking, cooking, and reading, which made for a pretty great week. Acadia is absolutely gorgeous, pristine, with loads to do. We had great weather as well, the evenings and mornings were cool and the days were warm and sunny. But, I have never seen such huge mosquitoes in my lifetime. They came out in full force around 6pm, and hovered around like miniature aircrafts until way after dark. We built enormous fires every night, which helped slightly.

Aside from that, we renewed our addiction to the card game Shithead (which occupied countless hours on islands in Thailand). One highlight were the times that we went on long bike rides on the Carriage Roads that snaked around the crystal clear glacier lakes and through the hillsides. Commissioned by Rockefeller in the early 1900s as a retreat into nature on horse-drawn buggies, the roads wind through the park for 45 miles and are mostly used for cyclists and enthusiastic walkers. Built for horse buggies, the gradual gradient is absolutely perfect for cycling. I can't imagine a more beautiful place to cycle. Along the way, beautiful stone bridges that Rockefeller also had built, designed after his favorite bridge in Central Park, NYC, dotted the landscape. It would be worth coming to Acadia purely to experience these incredible Carriage Roads.

We also spent quite a bit of time searching for the best deal on live lobster. We finally found it for 6.50 a pound, which is quite a deal for hardshell lobster. We cooked it twice, and it was absolutely delicious. We tried the softshell as well, the difference is quite significant. The meat was tastier and sweeter than that of the hardshell, but there was so much water and much less meat that by the time you worked your way through the lobster, you were left with much less. It makes sense that the softshells are two to three dollars less per pound. Pete absolutely hated the lobsters, though, and was extremely afraid. It was almost as bad as his tong phobia. I guess I can't blame him, since when we got them home, I made the mistake of putting one of them on the counter top, where it crawled around and fell down while I wasn't looking.

Acadia National Park

Aug. 22-23
After a long drive, we arrived at Acadia National Park in Maine. It was a bit of a detour, but turns out it was totally worth the trip. We stayed at one of the two National Park Campgrounds Seawall Campground near Southwest Harbor. Tucked into a wooded area of mostly birch and evergreen trees, the campsite didn't offer any hookups, and Shaune was barely able to get his Internet connection through AT&T.

On Saturday, we got up early and took the Island Express bus to the Cadillac Mountain trailhead. This bus service is incredible, covering the entire Mount Dessert Island area, it puts many mid-sized cities that I have visited to shame as far as public transportation is concerned. The bus is free, and we were able to put our bikes on the front and bring the dogs. The Cadillac Mountain hike was about 5 miles long, a steady ascent to the top. At 1,532 feet, it is the highest point along the North Atlantic Seaboard and is the first place in the United States to see the sunrise. The views along the way were spectacular, rivaling any of the many breathtaking views of the ocean in Thailand. The picture of us is from the top of the mostly bald mountain, overlooking Mount Dessert Island.

In the evening we took Boris and Pete to Seawall, a rocky spot looking out towards the Atlantic, a five-minute walk from our campsite. The picture of the dogs is from that spot. The little radio on the picnic table is our battery powered radio that is probably one of the best things we brought on the trip. We mostly play National Public Radio whenever we get reception and take it with us wherever we go.

Portland, Maine

Aug. 22

We decided to stop at a Walmart parking lot 4 miles outside of Portland before making our way to Acadia National Park. The city boasts a working harbor (which depending on one's taste, means stinky rotten fish smell accompanied by dirty lobster traps scattered about or a fascinating look into what nearly seems like a lost slice of working America). Anyway, we spent the late afternoon walking around the city, which might have more cozy pubs per block than I have ever seen. Along one of the docks, we stopped into a lobster shack to have the infamous lobster roll: chunks of delicious lobster mixed with mayo and cold slaw, wrapped in a bun. We tried a few of the innumerable local beer brews and headed back to the RV. We were a little disappointed that we didn't have more time to explore Portland, it seems like a really cool place. As with most places in New England, not surprisingly, it seems to lack any significant ethnic diversity.

Around Boston

Aug. 15-21, 2008

For the next few days, we spent most of our time hiking, running, and biking around the beautiful trails of the park. The mornings were lovely and cool. We drove to the T station and took the metro into the city for a few days, walking around like crazy enjoying Boston.

We hit most of the tourist spots, like Quincy Market, Beacon Hill, walked the Freedom Trail until we strayed off to get a beer. I don't think you would survive long here unless you were a huge fan of the Boston Red Socks. Neither Shaune nor I are into sports of any kind, but the intense dedication to something is a bit intoxicating. We stopped to watch former circus stars performing contortion acts on the street, walked through Chinatown (mostly Vietnamese) to stock up on a few Asian condiment items, walked along the Harbor area and admired the huge yachts docked with private helicopters, motorbikes, and embroidered velvet slippers waiting for the guests to arrive.

We had lunch in the beautiful Public Gardens: a great strong cheese, baguette, and a sampling of nice olives from a nearby deli.

I have to say that my favorite part of Boston was the Northend, where most of the Italian descendants are concentrated. For once I was pleasantly surprised that an area I had suspected to be overly touristy and deliberate, was indeed charming, authentic, and genuinely moody in parts. We bought a cannoli for good measure (although neither of us were big fans), along with some freshly made pasta, black olives and prosciutto for dinner.

Another day I met Jessica and her baby Beckett at the Institute of Contemporary Art, which offers what has to be the most incredible view of the harbor. The wind from the water was already cold, and once again, I found myself imagining how shockingly cold that spot would be in the winter. There was a great Anish Kapoor exhibition on, along with some other strange, but extremely fascinating works.

Our world did have to stop momentarily while here: Pete got a urinary tract infection, so I spent the better part of a day taking him to the vet for treatment. All is well, he's on antibiotics and Vitamin C.

We spent the last night there visiting our friends who live in Dorchester, near "Southie" as the residents fondly call the South part of town. The area is very diverse, Vietnamese, black, working class, white yuppies, the whole works. If we were to settle down somewhere, I would like to be in an area that offers this much diversity. As we travel, this is becoming more of a priority for me. Unfortunately, that rules out some really beautiful places.

Cape Cod

Aug. 13-15, 2008

A few days on Cape Cod and one can certainly understand why what seems like the entire East Coast floods there during the summer. As soon as you cross over the bridge traffic picks up, but the sea air has a way of relaxing you. We were very fortunate that our friends invited us to stay at their cottage with them, otherwise I can't imagine affording it.

The cottage is lovely: compact and cozy, just off a narrow dirt road. Like most other cottages here, the house is covered in wooden, grey shingles, single story. Located in Chatham, the area seemed to escape the hordes of tourists that you might see farther up.

From that little house, we all took walks along the beach, picked at the creatures on the shore, including washed up horseshoe crabs, lobster claws, seaweed. We took a drive along the shore where the views from above the cliffs to the deep blue sea below were spectacular. It was pretty hot outside during the day, but the shock of the freezing cold ocean gave away just how cold this area can be. According to Todd, who spent most of his summers here, winters on the Cape were pretty depressing.

It was here that Shaune and I had our first lobster! (We could call this trip firstcrustaceansacrossamerica as well) Jess and Todd told us how to "relax" the lobster before dropping it into roaring boiling water by stroking its tail upside down for a few minutes first. It seemed like the least I could do for the poor thing. Anyway, it is as delicious as they say, a true delicacy. We ate them with just a bit of melted butter and lemon, and I was hooked. You would have to take out a second job to afford the habit, but it was a great first experience.

Drive to Boston

Aug. 11-12, 2008

After dropping mom off at the Newark airport, Shaune and I started our trip to Boston. We drove all the way through Connecticut on the 84 to the 90, then turned south to get as close to Wompatuck State Park as we could. We stayed the night in a Walmart parking lot since we arrived late. Wednesday morning we drove to the state park, a 4,000-square-foot park, thickly settled with trees and ferns that is just 15 miles outside of Boston, located in the very posh neighborhood of Hingham.

We quickly set up the RV so that we could take off and meet our friends Jessica and Todd nearby to drive to Cape Cod for a few days. Technically, we weren't supposed to keep the RV at the site if we weren't staying there, but like most state parks, no one seems to monitor this type of thing. Now, park a wheel or part of the trailer off of the gravel just slightly, and a park ranger will appear as if out of no where. It's a great policy though, otherwise, each site would slowly expand into nearby vegetation. We left before lunch to meet our friends.

Family visit in New York

Aug. 1-11, 2008
Hopewell Junction, New York

Nearly two months into our trip, it was great to arrive in Hopewell Junction, New York to see my grandparents and family. Mom was able to schedule a visit at the same time, which was great. From DC, we took the most direct route possible into New York - the lovely New Jersey Turnpike. We skirted around the gritty industrial city of Baltimore, just missed Philadelphia, which were considering visiting but changed our minds to save time, and traveled on the NJT until we were able to avoid NY city traffic by getting on the Garden state parkway followed by the 287 to the 87. We stopped for a night near the 287/87 junction in a town called Airmont. The town seemed like any other town within the reaches of NY city: lowslung strip malls built in the late 80s with family-owned Italian pizza and sub takeouts, chinese restaurants, donut shops. But we also noticed a majority hasidic Jewish population. Kosher delis and synagogues stood next to drycleaners owned by Koreans and gas stations run by East Asians. School buses were driven by men with black top hats, single ringlets of hair tucked behind each ear. We decided this area merited a Walmart sleepover. By the time we parked the RV, we were no longer within walking distance of any Jewish specialty eating spots, so we settled for some disappointing pasta instead.

The next day we awoke early and drove a short distance to Sylvan Lake Beach Campground on the east side of the Hudson River and 10 miles or so from my grandparents house in Wappingers Falls. Mom met us there after we arrived, and strangely, this lake was where she and her brother and sisters used to go for afternoons when they were kids. The sleepy park hadn't changed at all, she noticed. The lake was nice, situated just downhill from our site. The thick grass was a vibrant green, the smell of the moss on the rocky ground reminded me of the smell of my grandparent's house; a smell that always reminds me of summers spent in NY as a child.

We spent the week visiting my grandparents, playing Password, eating takeout. It was a great week, and on Saturday, Shaune and I took the one and a half hour train ride into NY city for the day. Although we weren't planning on seeing a show, we ended up buying some half-priced ticked for a matinee showing of Avenue Q (a modern, cynical adult take on Sesame Street). It was fantastic, as usual, and Shaune's first Broadway show. We walked all the way from Times Square to Chinatown to the New York Noodle House (there are hundreds sharing this name, no doubt) on the corner of Bowery and Pell. At last, we had again the incredible salted shrimp, cooked with a layer of salt, delicious juice spilling out from the middle. They truly are remarkable. Also, we happened to be in the city on the first Saturday of five when they closed 4th and 5th avenues to traffic. There were hordes of cyclists and pedestrians enjoying the car-free areas. It was a bit strange, by habit, you still looked out for reckless cabs and stray motorcyclists. As always, the city was incredibly exciting, and made us both want to move there once again.

Washington, DC

Washington, D.C.

Despite paying quite a bit for a RV park that was just 5 minutes from the College Park metro station, DC turned out to be a lot of fun. The first night, shaune and I stayed at a Walmart near the Anacostia River, which apparently, we learned later is the less desirable part of town. Worked out for us, because we had a ton of laundry to do, and these areas are better for that sort of thing. Anyway, the next day we checked into Cherry Hill Park campground, only the second private campground that we have stayed at. It had all the amenities, which was nice since we spent most of the weekend in the city and the dogs needed the aircon running in the DC humidity.

We had a great time wandering around, visited most of the memorials on the Mall, including the Korean memorial, which was by far our favorite. We also visited one wing of the National Gallery, where I was thrilled to see three more Vermeer paintings, including my favorite, Girl with a Red Hat. We also visited the Holocaust museum. This was particularly moving for me, I recently visited the Holocaust museums in Berlin and Jerusalem, and found the one in DC to be by far the most informative and compelling.

I was very happy to see all of the Obama T-shirts on sale throughout the city. His face was everywhere. Of course, the danger there is that the Republicans will manage to convince a short-sighted public that his popularity is somehow a bad thing, akin to celebrity status, as though that were a bad word. They have certainly already tried, we shall see if it works. There were quite a few groups protesting a potential war with Iran in front of the White House, but other than that, the Capital was pretty quiet.

We spent an extra day touring the city since we were waiting for a package for Shaune that was a bit delayed.

Dead End of the Bay

July 26, 2008
Romancoke, Maryland

Both of us were looking for a place to stop where we could look far out into the Chesapeake Bay, so the next day before getting to the Bay Bridge, we simply drove south down a local road to Romancoke, an unincorporated town that is basically a volunteer fire station and community center that dead ends into the Bay. In no rush to get to DC, we decided to park up for the night.

In one of our more stressful RV moments, we backed the RV into the local electricity cable overhead, and nearly tore the metal luggage rack off, taking the entire cable with us. I guess we were lucky, but getting out of the tangled mess was quite a scene: throwing wooden spoons up to shaune who was balanced on top to untangle the cable. In the end, no major harm was done, and we spent the evening eating our Chinese stir fry that we made on a desolate pier in the Bay. The view was spectacular, but other than that, there was nothing else for miles. We threw our crab trap out, but the crabs seemed to have outsmarted us, grabbing most of our the chicken drumstick without setting it off.

Maryland Blue Crabs

July 23-25, 2008
St. Michaels, Maryland

St. Michaels is as idyllic as it looks like it would be on a map. Situated on a the tip of a narrow piece of land that juts into the Chesapeake Bay, the town has worked hard to preserve its picturesque main street and older homes near the harbors. I can only imagine the building regulations that exist there in order to keep it this way.

We stayed in a Walmart parking lot in nearby Easton, which is also a cool town with a much more diverse Hispanic community. The next day we moved the RV to the parking lot of a local recreational park just outside of town, underneath a water tower. Strangely, there were no RV parks for 60 miles, private or state-run.

Famous for blue crabs, we couldn't leave Maryland without experiencing them. We checked a few restaurants, but they seemed way too expensive, so we chose to sit outside of Big Al's Seafood Market on a picnic table and ate a half dozen jumbo crabs that they cooked for us. It was perfect, and John, who worked there was very patient in showing us each step of how to clean a crab. It's quite a production, but truly worth the work.

I hate to say it, but it is so great to travel without loads of tacky billboards, so prevalent in the South, especially Georgia. Signs such as "Jesus Allows U-Turns" and the like I can do without, permanently. And, Maryland gets the prize for best recycling! These colorful egg-like bins are everywhere, and offer full recycling, not just aluminum cans that you get in the South, if you are lucky. I think areas of the south have quite a lot to learn from northern states.

Leaving the South

July 21-23, 2008
Pocomoke State Park, Maryland After a few weeks on the beach, both of us were ready to see something new (this sounds incredibly spoiled, but for a trip this long, too much time just relaxing can actually become old). After a short drive, we left the Outer Banks and reached Virginia. Negotiating through Virginia Beach-Norfolk traffic, we stopped off at the visitor's center just before the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, which connects Virginia's Eastern Shore with the mainland. Once of the seven engineering wonders of the world, the bridge was really cool to see. The crossing consists of a series of low-level trestles interrupted by two approximately one-mile-long tunnels beneath Thimble Shoals and Chesapeake navigation channels. The manmade islands, each approximately 5.25 acres in size, are located at each end of the two tunnels. As usual, Shaune did an incredible job driving in challenging situations, although we did have to take off the car at the visitor's center as there were no U-turns and we couldn't turn the RV around without removing the car. Anyway, as soon as you arrive on the Eastern Shore, life seems to slow instantly. This is probably one of the least "discovered" places I have seen. It's surprising, considering the Bay stretches the length of the land and the ocean on the other. We slowly drove north to Maryland via Hwy 13 through a few small towns, stopping off at produce stands for fresh tomatoes and corn.

We randomly chose Pocomoke River State Park in southern Maryland to spend a few days. In two days we never saw any one associated with the park, but it was well maintained and the river was a stones throw away from the site. The kayaking was great here, the river at times was so still it seemed like you were on a sheet of glass. The park itself was dense with evergreen forest and vibrant flowering trees. A short cycle ride away, we found someone selling free-range eggs from their chickens that roamed their yard. I nearly forgot how delicious eggs can be, we haven't had eggs this fresh since Thailand. We also had electric hookups, which makes life much easier for Shaune when he works on his computer.

Learning to Fish

July, 08
Cape Hatteras, North Carolina

After a few days on Ocracoke, we drove to Frisco, a short drive north up the coast to a new campground. We heard that these campgrounds fill up quickly, but there seemed to be loads of space available. When you arrive to a state park campground, they let you drive around and pick your top two choices, which gives you the chance to get really great sites in some cases. We chose a site that with an expansive view of rolling sand dunes covered with sea oats ending with the endless Atlantic ocean. The only downside was that there were no hookups, and no dump station nearby, which meant we had to be very conservative with water and electricity. Our week was mostly spent basking in the sun, reading, and of course, fishing. I went out nearly every morning to the shore with fresh shrimp and a fishing rod and fished for hours. Aside from a few croaker fish that were too small to eat, my fishing attempts were largely unsuccessful. But, I did get a nice tan on the left side of my body. Nevermind, it was fun, and I have a new appreciation for the art of fishing! Fortunately, there was a great local seafood shop a few miles away in Hatteras Village, where we bought fresh flounder nearly every night.

While we were there, Hurricane Cristobal threatened with floods and 60mph winds, but aside from some heavy grey clouds and pelting rain, what we saw of the storm was pretty mild, considering.

Although the beach here is incredible, it is a shame that trucks are allowed on the beaches. During busy afternoons, it's actually difficult to see the shore through all of the cars. There seems to be an intense debate on the Outer Banks on this: most locals insist that if the right to drive on the beach were removed, local businesses would suffer. On the other hand, environmental groups are pushing to ban vehicles entirely. I can see both sides of the argument, but from a tourists perspective, it really pollutes the beach experience. And, personally, I think that if you can't carry all of your things from the parking lot to the beach, you are simply bringing way too much stuff!

After a week there, we moved north to Oregon Inlet campground, just south of Kitty Hawk. The site wasn't as nice as Frisco, but the area is a mecca for shore and pier fishers, so we wanted to give fishing another shot. At this point, I have received quite a bit of "local" fishing advice: the most recent insisted that squid was the bait of choice. Armed with squid, a bucket, and a fishing kit, shaune and I went down to the Inlet bridge and fished off the rocks most afternoons. Finally, I caught a flounder that was just large enough to bring home. As a treat, we rented a double kayak and explored the Sound side of the strip. We paddled through marshy paths, some just deep enough to make it through. The sound is full of life: schools of shrimp leaping out of the water, herons, turtles, you name it.

Jersey City of the South and Mosquito killers

July 12-14

In an effort to get as close to the ferry point for Cape Hatteras, we drove most of the day Saturday north on Interstate 95, and pulled into our first Walmart for the night in Goldsboro, North Carolina. We parked all the way in the back, and shut the blinds, turned the generator on, and cooked a great Chinese stir fry for dinner. It wasn’t bad at all, and the 24-hour security guy driving around never said a word. I guess Walmart really does allow RV-ers to park overnight.

The next day, we drove about 100 miles along highway 79 to Morehead City on the coast. After securing our spot at another Walmart (definitely not as nice as the last one), we drove to Atlantic Beach with the dogs. A long stretch of sandy beach, cluttered with tacky holiday surf and gift shops along the way, this place reminds me more of Jersey than a small town seafront in North Carolina. It was interesting to see that many people were living in the neighborhoods on the coast, unlike most of Florida where it seems all but a few of the places are huge rentals. Later, we wandered down to Beaufort, which I believe, is North Carolina’s third oldest town. Very quaint and well preserved, we walked along the waterfront, poking our heads into small galleries and a really cool wooden boat making shop. On Monday, Shaune caught up with some work, and I took the dogs back down to the beach for a run and a shower. Although our RV has exceeded our expectations in most ways, the shower pressure, understandably, doesn’t quite cut it. It’s actually easier to shower at the park showers, or the outdoor beach shower in this case. On my way home, I bought some fresh scallops from a stand along the side of road for dinner. Around 11am, we drove to catch our 2pm ferry from Cedar Island to Ocracoke. Driving the RV onto the ferry was completely seamless, and the 2.5 hour long trip was really relaxing. After we arrived, we drove a short distance to Ocracoke National Park campsite for the night. There was only one big sand dune that separated us from the ocean. The park was quiet; we had wild bunnies and deer running around the site. But, to this day (and this includes 2 years in Thailand), neither of us has ever experienced such terrible mosquitoes. When we arrived at the dump station, we got out, and were attacked in force, both of us nearly panicking. We soon learned that long trousers and sleeves were a necessity, as well as DEET insect repellant; something both of us had always insisted was not for us.

Skidaway Island and Savannah

July 6-12

To say the least, we have some major blog catching up to do. We spent nearly a week at Skidaway State Park, about 15 miles outside of Savannah visiting two friends, Ally and Olli. Shaune caught up on some work, while I explored historic Savannah and wrote a bit. This was the starting point of our fishing attempts. We purchased a surf and pier rod and a crab trap. In the evenings, we went out with Ally and Olly and fished off a local pier. The terrain around Skidaway is mostly saltwater marsh and incredibly pristine and beautiful.

A few evenings, Ally and Olli took us jet skiing, which was a blast. Actually, Shaune and I went flying off the ski while Ally was driving at about 49 mph! I could feel my sore lungs the next day. Another day, Shaune and I went to Bonaventure cemetery, Wormsloe Plantation, and downtown Savannah for some pretty bad fish and chips and crawfish. That’s what usually happens, in every country I suppose, when you are in a touristy area and don’t have local knowledge of a good place to eat. We decided to try and get recommendations from now on. We have really been enjoying all of the fresh shrimp and scallops that are available in stands and shops along the coast, so our seafood standards are rising.

This was our second visit to Savannah, and it struck me as a bit sleepy. Other than its historical beauty and intrigue, there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot going on in the way of culture, progress, innovation, etc. Many of the high street shops seem to be outdated and far from the trendy, current shops in nearby Charleston. It will be interesting to see how Savannah survives on its history alone.

Sapelo Island

July 5, 2008

Georgia’s Sapelo Island Keeps its Secret

On a recent ferry ride to Sapelo Island, a long-time resident who was transporting a pressure washer from the mainland, joked during a conversation we were having that Sapelo island shares its size and shape with the island of Manhattan.

With 80 residents, only 47 of whom are permanent, any comparison of Sapelo to Manhattan seems oxymoronic, at best. As the older gentleman leans back on the bench in laughter at my befuddled response, I begin to understand the irony.

The 30-minute ferry ride to the island winds its way through a maze of estuaries and marshes covered with vibrant green oyster grass. Although Sapelo is the fourth largest of the barrier islands sprinkled along Georgia’s coast and only 60 miles south of Savannah, visitors may only visit the island on a State Park guided tour or through an official invitation by one of the permanent residents.

All but 434 acres of the island belong to the State of Georgia and its three major wildlife, marine, and research programs. Despite the island’s natural beauty, its sheer isolation seems to have kept all but the most dedicated at bay. It wasn’t until 1967 that Georgia Power arrived on the Island and, aside from a small market that sells basic snacks, all products must be brought over by the state ferry that runs twice a day or private boat; a luxury most residents can’t afford. Once a car is ferried to the island, no tags or registration are required. The island’s 13 school-age children take the 7am ferry everyday to commute to a school in Darien on the mainland. Aside from the inconvenience, job opportunities are extremely limited, and as young residents move off of the island for work and education, the population continues to decline.

As we bobbed down on of the island’s washboard dirt roads, our State Park tour guide recalled the island’s rich history. First occupied by Guale Native Americans, the island was a battleground between the Spanish, French and British. In the 19^th century, the island was home to several African American slave settlements, and after the Civil War, many freed slaves moved back to the island. retaining much of their Gullah heritage. Based on English with a creole flavor, Gullah contains hints of vocabulary and grammar elements from several West African languages. Today, most of the residents can still trace their heritage back to the 19^th century.

A number of wealthy landowners also claimed ownership of the island, including Thomas Spalding, a wealthy plantation owner who purchased the south end of the island in 1802, and later automotive engineer Howard Coffin who sold ownership to tobacco baron RJ Reynolds in 1934. In 1950, Reynolds set up the Sapelo Island Research Foundation, and later Reynold’s widow sold her belongings to the State of Georgia. A decade after he purchased the island, Reynolds consolidated all of the African American communities into one, Hog Hammock, which still exists today. Set back from the lazy winding dirt roads, the majority of the resident houses are modest, shotgun-style wooden homes surrounded by large, tidy yards. Horses and cows wander freely from yard to yard. Despite the modesty, however, the vacation home potential that the island holds hasn’t gone unnoticed by developers and wealthy suburbanites. In an effort to preserve the island’s cultural heritage, community leaders recently fought successfully to limit all private houses to no bigger larger than 1,400 square feet.

On our way to the island’s curiously dubbed “Behavior Cemetery,” we passed Live Oak trees dripping with Spanish Moss with enormous limbs covered with resurection ferns shared space with Saw Palmettos. Reynolds’ impact on the island could stil be witnessed. We passed the longest strip of grass in Georgia that previously served as a sugarcane plantation, which Reynolds turned into a landing strip for he and his visiting guests. The Reynolds mansion, originally built by Thomas Spalding out of tabby, a then commonly used mixture of lime, shells, and water, still remains and can be reserved for larger groups.

On the southern tip of the island stands the red and white Sapelo Island lighthouse. Built in 1820, the lighthouse suffered several debilitating bouts with hurricanes, but underwent reconstruction in 1998 and now serves as a fully functioning navigation aid.

Sapelo Island offers visitors a rare glimpse into the past, and it seems local residents are determined to keep it that way.