Fall colors from hither and yon~~~

Fall, a most beautiful time of the year, is perhaps my favorite season.  The temps have been ranging from the low 30s at night to mid to high 50s during the day. In other words, it is cold!  Our little WAVE propane heater is doing a great job keeping the MH toasty - day and night.  The skies are mostly a stunning clear blue though a much needed rain shower just passed through. Is this the beginning of the long awaited El Nino,  I wonder.

And the colors are popping out all over.  Leaf peeping is upon us.  Time to take the camera out for a walk and/or dig up some of my favorite fall pics, many taken on our trip East in 2013.

Petaluma has an impressive array of Fall fashion on display

Fall means pumpkins...

Fall in Half Moon Bay showcases the many pumpkin patches!

Our Loomis parking site!

We have been in Loomis for the last week, staying at our daughter Stephanie's place that offers us acreage with hookups for parking.  Hard to beat the ambiance here and the price is right!

Fall along the Blue Ridge Parkway October 2013

Fall in Bar Harbor, ME October 2013

New Hampshire Byways September 2013

Vermont foliage, September 2013 Fall colors tour!

Ahhh....Fall and the beauty is bountiful.

Riding the ridge line..

Now this is my idea of sightseeing!  Driving on top of a mountain, on a two-lane with a 35 mph speed limit.  Sitting in the passenger lounge with cameras on hand, surrounded by huge windows and cozy surroundings. Wide, long pull-offs for scenic overlooks presenting every mile or two. There's been no lack of beautiful scenery on this trip, that's for sure, but this suits my fancy. Well, I should mention it is cold and days are interspersed with clouds and drizzle which often turns to snow flurries....No worries, it's a temporary condition.

From The Promised Land, we overnighted in Front Royal, VA, a destination in itself, close to DC with lots of history.  For us it was the gateway to the Shenandoah National Park and the 105 mile Skyline Drive.  75 scenic overlooks featured the Shenandoah Valley to the west and the rolling Piedmont to the east.  We cleared the 12'8" Mary's Rock Tunnel, barely.  And missed the darting deer.  How I don't know.  This beast practically stopped on a dime and that beast will live to see another day.  Pulling off for a few deep breaths and to check for damage in cabinets, Howard was cheered and high-fived as those behind us stopped for a kind word! Traffic came to another screeching halt up ahead with drivers jumping from stopped cars to photograph...but what?  A black bear was rambling in the woods, seemingly oblivious to its audience. Use your imagination; its the black bump in the center.

Shenandoah's campgrounds are open Spring, Summer, and Fall and most accommodate RVs. At milepost 79.5 we stopped at Loft Mountain and were greeted by a most friendly Park Ranger who spent a lot of time telling us about the park and pointing out the best sites we might choose from.  We wanted the west side for the sunset and found a large pull-through that just happened to be next to the Appalachian Trail.  Jackpot, we stayed two nights!

The Blue Ridge Parkway picks up where the Shenandoah NP ends.  This National Scenic Byway runs 469 miles through Virginia and North Carolina to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in Tennessee.  Run by two separate Federal agencies, the Parkway and the National Park differ in many ways.  In Virginia, the recreated mountain farms give visitors a glimpse of traditional mountain life in the early days of settlement.  In addition to the stops right along the Parkway itself, the road is next to historic towns from top to bottom, making for fascinating exploration of the heritage and culture of the region.  Our hope was to make it to Asheville in two days of driving.  That was not to be.

Noticing many campgrounds along the way were closed for the season, we stopped at the next information center to see what lie ahead.  The weather was getting nasty and we were ready to stop for the day.  The Peaks of Otter campground was within reasonable driving range.  There were few other campers there.  It was so cold our time outside was limited and the catalytic propane heater barely took the chill off.  No hookups and no solar, so the generator was called into service to fire the diesel furnace.  The morning dawned at 22 degrees, and we remembered we have choices, we're mobile, we're Snowbirds, for heaven's sake.  We exited the Parkway at Fancy Gap, VA and headed to the Lowcountry.

We found the Promised Land...

We did, in fact, find the Promised Land, a state park in northeastern Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains, and it delivered just what we were looking for; peaceful seclusion in a beautiful fall setting.  I think we are feeling overloaded on sightseeing in crowded, high traffic, tourist destinations and ready for a few days of hibernation. So here, quietly, are a few photos of our surroundings:

The trees are shedding their golden leaves and there is a chill in the air.  Deep breaths!

Downeast it's Mainely Lobster

Howard and I have October birthdays less than 2 weeks apart and decided we would combine them somewhere in between and celebrate with Maine lobster, a delicacy to us west coast Dungeness crab folks  Our plan was to return, after some 15 years, to Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island (MDI), the largest island off the coast of Maine, and home to many popular summer colonies like Bar Harbor.

Lobster by the pound...delicious!

The park, of course, was closed therefore no carriage ride and no hikes from our campsite through the many roads and trails. Yes, you could still walk into the barricaded sites that were accessible from the public roads where you queued up in a long line of shoulder parking. Disappointing but we compensated well with yet another Passport America park, Mt. Desert Narrows.

At Mt. Desert Narrows with a view

We immediately set out to find Thurston's Lobster Pound, listed as one of the best in all of the reviews we read.  Why, I wondered, were all the lobster places called pounds, until we ordered at the walk-up counter and were asked what size.  We opted for lobster and salad with a cup of fish chowder, but many orders came packed with corn on the cob and many sides!  The very casual restaurant was crammed with international visitors, local New Englanders, and others on the road like us.  On our outings we'd stop for lunch adding lobster bisque, lobster rolls, Caesar salad topped with lobster. Enough already!  When we met up with our friend Al for yet another birthday celebration at Galyn's, a local favorite by the waterfront, we all ordered their famous prime rib! 

Colorful lobster trap buoys  

Our week's stay was full of long drives with strolls through towns and villages like Southwest Harbor, Somesville, and Northeast Harbor.  Each offered its own ambiance from working harbors and boat-building to summer enclaves for the rich and famous.  There was no lack of photo opportunities and rich history to enjoy.

Much photographed scene near Somes Sound

 

Splashes of Fall color on a gray day

Southwest Harbor

Northeast Harbor

Island sunset

Another beautiful scene around MDI

Getting into Bar Harbor, then securing a parking spot, was challenging due to the late-season crowds and beautiful weather.  We soon learned to avoid downtown on days when as many as 3 large cruise ships were in port, or arrive after 5 p.m. when passengers were back onboard. Since many of the park attractions were closed the sidewalks and streets were gridlocked with pedestrian traffic and fully loaded buses headed for outlying villages.

Downtown on a drizzly non-cruise ship day

By Bar Harbor waterfront

Tall ship & cruise ship

Around town

Bass Harbor Lighthouse was a must-see even with the access road closed to vehicles.  We drove toward the village of Tremont and Bass Harbor, parked along the highway and joined the parade of visitors walking in the approx. 1/4 mile to the lighthouse.  To the right is a path that takes you down to the tower and viewing area with a panoramic view of the harbor and islands in the distance. This is a working light and the ranger and his family were in residence.

Light tower and keeper's house

To the left of the buildings, and not as clearly marked, is a path leading to a stairway that follows the face of the cliff down to the rocks below.  In order to get a really good shot you need to climb out to the water's edge, but I was pushing my luck to get this far.  Clicking on the link above will show photos of those more nimble and courageous than I.

Bass Harbor Lighthouse seen from the rocks below

We are now at our furthest point East and will soon turn south.  I think it's worth mentioning that from Washington State we have followed US Highway 2, with a few detours along the way, to Bangor, Maine.  This northernmost east to west route spans some 2570 miles, mostly two-lanes, and often on America's backroads.  What a trip!

US Highway 2

  

  

Leaf Peeping in New Hampshire

New Hampshire was in full color mode, and like Vermont, the peeps had foliage fever.  This is a busy (read crowded) time of year and we saw many no vacancy signs on the Inns and B & B's.  

No problem, though, with RV parking for a few days.  We found another gem tucked away in the little town of Bethlehem, the Apple Hill RV Park, another half price Passport America park.  The website said the rate was not honored on the weekend which is pretty standard, so arriving on a Thursday we were pleasantly surprised to receive 3 nights of discounted parking.  We have found that owners have options whereby managers and camp hosts usually stick by the book.

Our site at Apple Hill

We are well-situated in the White Mountains, primo foliage country, and near all the National Forests and Scenic Byways. We chose a 100-mile loop drive that combined the White Mountain Trail, including the Crawford Notch and the Franconia Notch, as well as the Kancamagus Highway, and were not disappointed...well maybe just a tad that the skies were gray and overcast, not the best for photos. These notches are steep, narrow gorges cut through mile-high mountains, often by rivers.

There was lots of traffic and thankfully many scenic pull-offs, as we tend to drive slowly and gawk.  All the NP campgrounds were closed, but roads, for the most part, were not barricaded and we even saw a few campers in residence. Fortunately, the day use areas were open for viewing.

One last tidbit before the photos.  Back at 1000 Islands Winery our map was highlighted by a New England native who warned us to beware of moose on the roadways. We have seen nary a moose and now I know why.  Overheard at the little town of Bethlehem market at the check-out counter:  It has been so warm that all the moose are dying and the ticks are multiplying!