Wednesday, August 28, 2013

tales from the trail...

While I'm in the process of editing and organizing road-trip photos...
I'll leave with you a bit of this and that.

Things we encountered along the way.
Things that made us smile.
Mostly!



Like this checklist...
at a KOA campground along the way.

We took note of things that are different than back home.


Like toll bridges and toll highways in every direction.
In British Columbia we have two toll bridges...
and no toll highways.
So how were we to know that one could not pull off the toll highway to get gas at a service plaza...
 and then carry on without paying the toll again?
Apparently, we should have asked for a receipt at the toll booth.
So we paid the $7 again three miles down the road.
We know now!


In our province we wear helmets...
on bikes and on motorbikes.
 Not so much in the states...it seems. 


I mentioned that we drove through 21 states on our road trip.
What I never said was that we never spent much time in some of them.
Though I am sure Michigan has a lot to offer...


...our total time there was less than an hour.
We crossed over the border...
and had a coffee at McDonald's in New Buffalo.
And that was the extent of our visit to Michigan.


I like the idea of drive-through banking way out in the country!
That is another thing we would not see in my part of the world.


I'm thinking his wife bought him a personalized license plate for his birthday!


We rode a ferry from New York state to Vermont...
a beautiful ride.

Hubby was quite relieved that he still qualified for a life preserver...
though he wondered what would become of all the seniors should the boat go down.



Let me share a little story from our time in New Hampshire.
It was the only rainy day of our whole trip.
We did a little exploring...
and crossed over an old covered bridge in Jackson.
No sooner were we over the bridge than flashing lights appeared behind us.
We had no idea what our offence might have been.
The officer came to the door...
and informed us that no trucks were allowed on the bridge...
and that our RV exceeded the weight limit.
So he took our paperwork and went to his vehicle to write up our infraction.
When he returned...
Elmer asked him what exactly the weight limit was.
We were able to show him that our RV was actually less than the specified limit...
according to the registration papers.
He was amazed!
He said his SUV weighed almost that much.
 
Then he wished us well...
with a smile.
(And let me take his photo.)
Whew.
We really never set out to cause trouble in New Hampshire!


On the last few days of our road trip...
we shared the road with horses and buggies.
Now that was a first for us!

We also visited Hershey, Pennsylvania and did the 'chocolate world' tour.
Wow.  We had no idea what a big attraction that was!


What a surprise to see a big Brookside chocolate display there.
Brookside chocolates are a Canadian favorite...
made in the Fraser Valley not far from where we live.
It seems Hershey has bought out Brookside.
They know a good thing when they see it.


We left our motorhome in storage in a farming community near Lancaster.
That is such a beautiful area!
We'll be back in a few months to carry on with our travels.

We spent a long day flying home on Saturday.
Three different flights...
four airports...
and Canadian customs to deal with.
All went well until we arrived back in Canada to discover we only had one suitcase...
not two.
The next day we learned that it had gone to Dallas, Texas.
I wondered how our Hershey's chocolate would survive a few days in heat.
The suitcase arrived at 'my front porch' this afternoon.
The Hershey's treats are now 'seconds'!
But that's OK.
We are just glad to have the suitcase back...
along with all the clothes,
electronics and gifts.
 
And those are just a few of the tales from the road.
There will be more...coming soon!




19 comments:

  1. Your post explains why I love to travel, Judy! One learns so much that one never knew they had to learn..lol!
    Your experiences were so delightful to read ...wish you did not have to pay those extra tolls,however!
    I look forward to learning more about your trip :)

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  2. You are so blessed to have Elmer along...which you already knew I am sure. That he thought to document his trailer load was awesome. The signs and snippets along the way made me chuckle. Thanks for sharing and share more when you can!

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  3. Thanks for this glimpse into your trip. You had some adventures, some challenges, and loads of awesome scenery!

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  4. Love your tales from the road, Judy. So happy that suitcase arrived with all your stuff in it! Toll roads scare me. I'm sure they take credit cards now but I was always afraid we wouldn't have the right change to get through and would end up in toll bridge jail somewhere. (Active imagination?)
    So glad the police officer was willing to rethink that ticket! He's a good sport!

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  5. This post makes me want to pack my suitcase and get out on the road! Fun tales from your travels, Judy. Glad to hear that all went well with the New Hampshire police. Travel expands the mind in ways we don't imagine.

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  6. Great stories Judy. You experienced a lot of things along the way that were new to you. We saw that very covered bridge in Jackson on our honeymoon 36 years ago. It's beautiful there. I didn't know Brookside chocolate were made in BC. We love the blueberry acai ones. Have a great day.

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  7. I also enjoy seeing the road through your eyes! What an adventure! I wonder, when you go back and finish this tour, in what percentile of Americans you would be to have visited all of the States? Oh... but you are Canadian ... where is that again?

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  8. Judy, it was fun to see the signs, and things you learned along the way! We have a relative whose grandfather name is 'Grumpy'; maybe also of the license plate guy? Dairymary

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  9. Mr. New Hampshire looks appropriately sheepish. LOL

    Great scenes from the road! Economic times being what they are down here, I wouldn't be surprised if they put toll booths on the parking lots.

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  10. Loving your photo diary of the trip...makes me feel part of the journey...love the pic of a brother in blue, glad he was friendly about his goof lol
    hugs
    Sandi

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  11. You really did have a lot of adventures! Don't know about other states, but helmets ARE required in Georgia!

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  12. Such fun to follow you on this great road trip! You made some amusing observations. Glad your luggage showed up - even though the Hershys are now seconds - lol!

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  13. Your post is delightful and I look forward to hearing and seeing more along your way. I love traveling along with you! Helmets ARE required in Virginia as well.
    Farm Gal in VA

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  14. Your post was very enjoyable today! Love the funny things you found along the way....

    Hugs!

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  15. Your narration of the photos was spot on for entertainment. I think you could host your own travel show.
    Um...er....did my present make it back okay? I had a pancake all ready for it. =)

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  16. I smiled through every word!! The joys of travel and seeing what routine life is in other parts of the country!! What a great idea to store your RV and fly home. And just think - your suitcase was in MY neck of the woods!! Keep these posts coming!! We want to see MORE!!

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  17. I was disappointed when I came to the last one of your tales. What fun and unusual stories you have to share. I am still smiling at the list of thing to remember when you leave the campground:) I wonder how many people ask to take a policeman's picture after he stops them? And, I can't imagine how thankful you both were to see your suitcase again. Thank you for sharing in your most interesting fashion.

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  18. I was just enjoying myself catching up with a bunch of your posts. You have truly had a wonderful time with many stories to share and many wonderful people that you have met through blog land. I missed the event on Sunday, but can tell it was a wonderful event enjoyed by all.
    Soon it will be time to catch up again.

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  19. I enjoyed this last leg of your journey....interesting, funny and will have me coming back here when you pull the RV out of storage and continue to travel. I think we will all look forward to your postcards then again.

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'The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.'
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson