Getting a move on
I was sad to leave the Finger Lakes and to say “Au revoir” to my friend Christine. I really enjoyed my first long-term stay and I loved the comfort of being stationary for awhile—but not too long. So, it was time to move on. I promised my kids I’d spend Thanksgiving with them in New Jersey so that’s where I was headed but first I made a stop in north-central Pennsylvania to visit friends. Yes, apparently I have friends everywhere! Or, as my kids used to say when they were little, “You know everybody!”
A former co-worker Cliff and my very dear friend/contractor Mark, have a hunting cabin along with two more friends. They were all going to be there and I’d been dying to see the place for years so I scheduled this leg of the trip for that purpose. The location is directly north of Williamsport, PA, near the New York border.
The little cabin in the woods.
I chose Tanglewood Campground in Covington, Pennsylvania because it’s very close to the cabin and even though the guys would only be around for the weekend, I stayed in the area for a week. I had been disappointed with the leaf color in New York and hoped for better autumn scenery a little farther south. I would be nicely rewarded!
My campsite at Tanglewood.
The view out my door…off season camping means having the place nearly all to myself.
My campsite was in an open field with uneven ground so I needed to get out my leveling blocks. Each wheel needed to be at different heights to get level, which is a bit of a challenge. The interlocking blocks are like giant LEGOs that I position behind the wheels and have to drive up onto. Not as easy as it sounds. I often over-shoot and wind up driving off the other side and have to back up. This back-and-forth went on for awhile until I was satisfied with my position.
When I exited the motorhome to check for the last time, my neighbors came over to ask if I needed help. Now, they ask! Actually, anyone who knows me well, knows I don’t often ask for or accept help. It’s a stubborn German thing. Or maybe just a Lindsay thing. Not sure which.
Well, this couple invites me over for a drink with another couple they’re camping with so, Margarita in hand, I accepted their offer. One couple was from Florida and the other from New Jersey—the two states I call home. Actually, they all grew up in New Jersey and had gone to school together.
Here comes another of my “Small World” experiences… While drinking with my neighbors, they asked where I had worked before retirement. When I told them it was an ambulance manufacturer at the Jersey Shore, one man looked at the other and asked him, “Didn’t that guy Cliff we used to work with also work for an ambulance company?” I showed them a photo of Cliff and, sure enough, it was him. OMG! I can’t make this stuff up!
I had made arrangements for Cliff to pick me up and bring me to the cabin for dinner so when he arrived, I took him to the site next door for a reunion (they had all worked as part-time security at the Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ). I can’t get over how this stuff happens to me.
At the cabin, Mark took me for a ride on his quad all around the mountaintop where they hunt then I had a very nice dinner with the guys doing all the cooking and the clean-up. I’d always heard the view was amazing and it lived up to the hype—it looks like a Thomas Cole painting—and at night, you can see the Milky Way.
L-R: Mark, me, Cliff.
Cliff cooked his specialty: Baked Ziti.
The spectacular view from the cabin deck reminds me of a Thomas Cole painting like the one below.
Thomas Cole painting: “River in the Catskills.”
The Milky Way as seen from the deck of the cabin.
The guys left the next day and I spent the following week driving all around that part of Tioga County. It’s mostly farmland and forest and the leaves were just right for some great photographs.
The road leading to the campground.
A nearby farm made for a picturesque autumn countryside scene.
I liked the contrast of the colored trees and the bright green grass separated by the dried corn field. The horses proved to be a spectacular bonus, especially as the one on the far left looked up at me just as I hit the shutter button.
My new best friends. Cows are great to photograph because they just stand around staring at you like you’re nuts to be photographing cows.
The days were mild and beautiful and the nights were downright chilly but at least it wasn’t freezing. I had to run the furnace all week and ran out of propane by the last day. I was conveniently able to refill on my way out of the campground.
Empty propane tank after a week of chilly weather.
From there, it was about a seven hour drive to New Jersey where I would stay put for another month. I had made prior arrangements to have my fiberglass damage painted before checking into my campground in Toms River. Richie, one of the guys I used to work with, has his own body shop not far from where I would be staying so I went there first and spent a night sleeping in the parking lot. The following day, he did all the work and I was able to move to the campground down the road.
Remember my run-in with a water spigot last summer?
And the fiberglass repairs done by friend Perry?
Well, Richie made it look “Like it never even happened!” I replaced the red marker light myself.
As campgrounds go, Surf and Stream hardly qualifies because most of their clientele are permanent residents. The sites are unsightly and the residents were a bit on the rough side but it was affordable and conveniently located to everyone I wanted to see. I was here from October 28 to November 30 and didn’t spend much time in the campground other than to sleep and I never talked to any of the neighbors. The management, however, was very nice. One week, it got unseasonably cold, causing my water supply hose to freeze, and they provided me with a heated hose for the remainder of my stay, which was a godsend.
Frozen water supply as temps dipped to 26 degrees.
Electric heated water hose provided by campground. Hose plugged into an outlet on the side of my motorhome and the winter water supply is buried underground to prevent freezing and accessed from under the lid in the foreground.
My month was spent visiting friends and family but it never seems like enough time. There were several people I didn’t manage to see and I regret that. I also had the opportunity to complete some redecorating projects. I think I’ll do entire blog post about the custom work I’ve done in the motorhome.
Some of the re-upholstery work I did in the motorhome.
It finally got to be Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday—remember the previous post about being a descendant of the Pilgrims) and I had been looking forward to it for some time. I love cooking turkey and all the trimmings and planned to do it at my BFF Diana’s house. Diana also happens to be my son’s mother-in-law, making this an ideal situation. Well, wouldn’t you know, the kids had work conflicts and would only be in town on the Sunday of the holiday weekend and they didn’t want me going through the trouble of cooking a big meal. “The best laid plans…”
Well, damn, I still needed my turkey fix and my sister Katy came to my rescue. She’s an amazing hostess and put on a remarkable feast (doing all the work, except the appetizers, herself) for something like 28 people. I had a wonderful time and cherished the opportunity to spend a holiday with her and her husband’s family before hitting the road again.
A rare opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving with my sister Katy and her husband’s family.
This had been my third visit to New Jersey since leaving last May and, once again, I had no plans to return until I’d finished touring the country but my plans always seem to change.
My route from the Finger Lakes to The Jersey Shore.
Upcoming post:
An off-season coastal route to Florida.
