Northward Bound

Heading out with our "new" used RV, towing the Honda 

July  2010   As happened so frequently last year, the travel gods saved us once more as we approached Atlanta in bumper to bumper rush hour traffic, we exited the highway with our brakes smoking and found a mechanic, at the first stop, with the knowledge and the parts to replace our front disc brakes and get us back on the road again.  Enjoyed a relaxing 4th of July weekend and spectacular fireworks over Atlanta with Nicole and Robert.

Along the Virginia Creeper Trail, in Damascus, VA.  

Headed for our next destination, on a tip from friends, the upper section of the Virginia Creeper Trail.  An RV park across the street from The Bike Station, one of six shuttle businesses in town, provided our trip up the following day.  The shuttles deliver bikers and bikes to the top of the trail on White Mountain.  Going downhill on this 17.5-mile trail, through National Forest and next to a rushing stream, was a thrilling experience.  Braking for most of the trip down, we did find the occasional need to peddle.  Our one regret was not bringing rods and tackle to snag some of the numerous trout.  Heading to Stamford, NY to visit with friends.  Temperatures are getting in the high 90's in the south-- so need to keep heading north.

Arriving in Stamford, we visited with friends, Carol and Paul.  Even though we had not seen them in 25 years, it seemed we had just walked out the door yesterday.  They are entering into a new venture in life as gym owners and hopefully as prosperous business entrepreneurs.  

Next, we moved on to the Berkshires in Massachusetts, where we revisited a walk through time at the Norman Rockwell Museum and were also treated to an exhibit by cartoonist William Steig (of New Yorker fame).  Had not realized he had also written 39 children's books, including Shrek, though his original rendition of the character is considerably more menacing than the Disney version.  Daniel Chester French's studio was nearby.  This stop gave us an appreciation for the effort involved in conceptualizing and bringing to completion pieces such as the statue of Lincoln for the Lincoln Memorial.  In North Adams, MA, we visited the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.  Experienced installation art, in these old transformed warehouse spaces, which includes the largest single gallery in the world. A tour led by an art student gave us an understanding of the processes involved in the creation of installation art, which varies depending on the building in which it is installed.

Meeting up with another old friend, Terry, in Brattleboro, VT, we stayed in the beautifully refurbished family home built in 1723.   Raised in Florida, I never cease to be amazed by the architectural gems in the northeast.  In Florida, a  home is old if it was built in 1923. 

We moved on to Terry and her husband, John David's, Victorian-style home built in the 1890's, which they have restored over the past 12 years and decorated throughout with Terry's watercolors and sculptures. 

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