Camping in Allegheny State Park

We spent the Labor Day Weekend camping in Allegheny State Park, in western New York State. It was a long trip for us from Weymouth, Massachusetts but we had picked our destination because of its location, roughly halfway between our home and my parents’ home in Indiana. Maura was visiting her grandparents and we needed to fetch her home before school started this week. We met them halfway to make the exchange and enjoy our final short vacation of the summer.

Allegheny State Park was a nice place to visit. The park is beautiful and has very nice facilities nestled in a semi-wild area the size of a county with lakes, streams and miles of steep wooded hills. The campground at Red House was not quite as nice as the rest of the park because the sites were small and crowded together. On Sunday it was a city of portable homes. On Monday when the crowds were gone it was quite pleasant. We will likely be back for the same reason we were there this time—it is a convenient place to meet my folks and the beauty and amenities of the rest of the park make up for a less than perfect campground.

Jennifer and I got up early on Saturday morning to make the trip to Allegheny State Park. It was an all-day drive and we needed to get there before dark to make camp, which we accomplished by leaving at 4:00 am. Once we had unloaded the car and pitched the tent we made our way to where my parents were staying in a nearby town to collect Maura. We also had the chance to spend some time with my parents and with my sister Marcia who had come along on the trip with them. Seeing Marcia is a rare treat for me—my parents visit us several times each year but Marcia isn’t retired and can’t usually make the trip with them and we don’t have the resources to go to Indiana often. We had a nice restaurant meal and then headed back to camp to because we were all exhausted.

Sunday we all spent the day together in the park. We met after breakfast at the Red House lodge. We explored the lodge’s museum and gift shop, took a short hike nearby and then ate lunch at the lodge restaurant which was a friendly place that made great sandwiches. After lunch we went down to Red House Lake and played miniature golf at the course there. The course was in an advanced state of disrepair and was barely playable because of the resulting unintended obstacles. Despite the obstacles, or perhaps because of them, we had a very good time playing it. It was worth a few laughs.

After mini-golf we went back to camp. While my dad and I built and tended a fire the rest of the group drove to nearby Salamanca for provisions. We had an enjoyable dinner of sausages cooked in the fire wrapped in foil with s’mores for desert and beer for the adults. We all had a chance to relax and unwind. At the end of the evening we said goodbye to my parents and sister. They had to return to Indiana on Monday. We were lucky enough to have another day to enjoy the park.

On Monday we took a hike along little used dirt roads to Thunder Rocks, a group of strange rock formations perched on the top of a hill. They were clearly natural boulders of coarse sandstone not moved by man but I don’t enough about the local geology of the area to know how they came to be there. Despite the litter and graffiti left by previous visitors the rocks had a mysterious and primal air. I felt almost as if I was intruding on a holy place. Maura wanted to climb them.

After the hike we took another jaunt into town for provisions and then rented a paddle boat for an hour. It was fun to tool around the lake on an oversized aquatic Big Wheel until a storm threatened. Though the storm never arrived, the gusty winds and clouds were a signal that it was time to go in. We had planned on taking on taking a dip in the lake afterward but instead returned to camp for another relaxing evening. We roasted wieners on sticks, ate s’mores again and read stories aloud around the fire by flashlight. The next day we packed up as quickly as we could and drove back to Weymouth to be ready for the first day of school on Wednesday, both for Maura and for me.

Camping in Sandwich

The last week of June was a big week for us. Monday was Maura’s first visit to Fenway. Tuesday we all headed to Sandwich, on the upper part of Cape Cod, for a camping trip. After we had discovered that our luggage rack wouldn’t fit the car we bought in December and then fixing the problem after a quick run to REI for a part we packed up and headed out on our trip. We arrived at our campsite in Shawme-Crowell State Forest in mid-afternoon and had just enough time to get camp set up before the first of several thunder storms hit. Fortunately there was little wind and our tent was snug and waterproof, as was our picnic shelter once we threw a tarp over the top. Heavy rain made it hard to get a fire started and once we retreated to the car because of nearby lightning but the storm finally passed. We were able to enjoy our dinner and eventually s’mores around the campfire.

Wednesday was our day in and around Sandwich. We visited the Sandwich Fish Hatchery where Maura fed the trout being raised there for stocking the ponds and rivers of Massachusetts. It was fun to watch the fish swarm to the food scattered on the water.

From the Fish Hatchery we drove to Long Pasture Audubon Sanctuary in Barnstable. While I was changing into my boots a titmouse landed on my hat. Later as we hiked along the beach the same bird visited all three of us as we walked on the sand, pecking around our feet and landing on my shoulder and again on my hat. We later learned that the bird was a fledgling. He hadn’t yet learned to stay away from humans and to avoid being caught in the open. With luck he will learn the lesson before he is eaten by a hawk. On our trip to the Audubon Sanctuary we also saw crabs and mud snails, as well as two musk turtles basking on a log in a fresh water pond. Honeysuckle was in bloom and it filled the air with the sweet scent of its flowers.

After our visit to the Audubon sanctuary we headed back into Sandwich. We stopped at the Greenbrier Jam Kitchen and bought some spicy fall fruit jam, then drove down to the Cape Cod Canal to have a picnic. After lunch we visited two historic buildings in Sandwich. The Hoxie House was built ca. 1675 and once housed the family of Sandwich’s minister. We had a very nice tour from the friendly docents in the house, though I’m not sure of the accuracy of all the information that they gave us. After the Hoxie House we visited the gristmill at the other end of Lower Shawme Pond. It is a working reproduction of one built on the site in the 1650s which operated there from the 17th century until the late 19th century. It was interesting to see how flour was made before modern flour mills.

After the visit to the grist mill we headed back to camp for another evening by the fire. We had another enjoyable night in camp, this one without rain. We cooked in the open fire, had s’mores for desert again, and read stories aloud around the campfire until it was dark (and then finished the story by flashlight). The next morning after breakfast we packed up and headed home. Everyone had a good time and we returned energized and rested, but covered with mosquito bites.

Travels Without Maura

Last weekend was a rare opportunity for Jennifer and me. We had a weekend to ourselves without our daughter and were able to go away for a few days alone. While we missed our daughter from time to time we enjoyed the time spent alone together immensely.


We spent our time camping in Pearl Hill State Park. The campground was very nice, with large sites. We enjoyed the privacy we had without Maura. We arrived on Saturday and enjoyed a quiet evening together in camp sitting by our fire and retiring early to our tent.

Saturday was our wedding anniversary. In the morning we took a long hike to Damon Pond and back. After lunch at camp we left the park for the evening. We drove to Fitchburg where we discovered the Fitchburg Art Museum, a very fine small museum. We spent several hours there taking in their permanent collections and special exhibitions. They have a particularly fine selection of works by Eleanor Norcross, who donated the original building for the museum.

After the museum we took a long drive through the towns west of Fitchburg looking for a good place to eat and something to do before dinner. We failed to find anything of interest to do along our route but we enjoyed our uninterrupted conversation. We did find an interesting looking restaurant, the Old Mill Restaurant in Westminster, Massachusetts. Occupying an 18th century building once used as a sawmill it turned out to be a good choice. We may eat there again if we’re ever in the area. The setting was enchanting, the food was well prepared and they had beer from the local Wachusett Brewery on tap. We very much enjoyed our meal there.

The next day we took our time getting back to the Boston area. We planned a stop at the Nashoba Valley Winery, one of our favorite spots which we visit at least annually. On the way we took a long detour looking for Davis’s Farm Land, and then got lost on the way back. We eventually made it to Nashoba where we took the tour of the winery and tasted several of their products including their newly released whiskey, which was very good. A romantic picnic in the shade of the wine shop patio finished our weekend trip.

Have no fear that Maura was languishing with some boring baby sitter while we went away without her. While Jennifer and I were off together she was having adventures of her own in Maine with my parents. She saw the chocolate moose, ate lobster and went sailing on a schooner. The best part of her trip was she got to spend it with her grandparents whom she sees only a few times a year as they live far away.

Red Monkey Visits Acadia National Park

Last Sunday Maura, Jennifer and I set out on a short family adventure in the form of a camping trip to Acadia National Park, on Mount Desert Island, Maine. We left home before dawn, the car having been loaded with our gear the night before and we had the roads almost too ourselves as we made the trip to Acadia in very good time, arriving  before noon even though we took a slightly longer and slower route than we had originally planned and made a detour to purchase blueberries and maple syrup for the next day’s breakfast along the way.


On reaching the park we stopped at the Visitor’s Center to pick up a pass for the park loop road, necessary for camping, and a junior ranger activity book for Maura. From the Visitor’s Center we headed to the Blackwoods Campground where we would be staying until we had to head for home on Tuesday morning. We took a little time getting there, stopping at the base of the Precipice Trail in hopes of spotting the resident peregrine falcons (invisible in the clouds) and taking in Thunder Hole (not thundering but still scenic).

When we reached Blackwoods we checked in and set up camp. When the necessary chores had been done and we had eaten our lunch we took a short hike down to the top of the cliffs by the shore, and then along the road until we got to Little Hunter’s Beach, where we could climb down to the water. There we heard the sounds of the beach stones grinding together in the surf and searched tide pools to find crabs and periwinkles but no sea stars. Red Monkey, who was with us at Gettysburg in the spring, was with us again and we got his picture next to the small stream that flowed into the sea across the beach. While we were at Little Hunter’s Beach we were sprinkled with the only rain to fall on us while we were in Acadia.

Looking at tidepools

Back at camp we rested for awhile and then made our supper of split pea soup with bacon. Pea soup is a family favorite and it cooked as well on a camp stove as it would at home. After supper we walked to the campground’s amphitheater for the Sounds of Acadia, put on by Ranger Todd, with musical selections by his twin brother, or perhaps alter ego, Toad. We learned how to listen to the sounds of the natural world and heard the sounds of some common birds, frogs and mammals provided by Ranger Todd, with audience participation. For variety Toad (or was it Todd without his ranger hat) led the audience in singing "Rockin’ Robin" and his own song, "Happy Earth Day". The program was fun and informative and I wish we could have attended others but the trip was too short. After the show we returned to camp and had desert, Jennifer’s creation, a stew of peaches and blueberries with dumplings of pancake batter. It was delicious and we all enjoyed it thoroughly. When the dishes were done we went to bed. It had been a long day and we wanted to be well rested for what we had planned for Monday.

What we had planned was a hike up Cadillac Mountain by the South Ridge trail, which begins at Blackwoods Campground. Our intention was to hike up and take the bus back. After our breakfast of blueberry pancakes we set out on foot from camp. We enjoyed the hike up the 4½ mile trail through forests and up the barren mountain ridges to the summit. The trail was challenging without being overly difficult and once we were above the tree line the views were spectacular. We had perfect weather with bright sun and a cooling breeze. When we reached the summit we had climbed from nearly sea level to 1530 feet, the highest point on the island and on the coast.

Maura and Jennifer at the top

At the summit we enjoyed our lunch and the spectacular view in all directions. We got more pictures to document Red Monkey at the top. When we had had enough of the summit we started looking for the bus stop. It took us a few minutes to realize there isn’t one. There is a road to the summit and many people drive up Cadillac Mountain but the bus doesn’t go there. We’d made the mistake of assuming that it did and hadn’t looked at the bus schedule. Since we had no choice we walked down. We chose the North Ridge Trail. It is shorter than the South Ridge Trail we had come up and it ends at a bus stop. It was a good thing that it did because by the time we reached the bottom we were all exhausted. Despite the longer than planned hike we had all enjoyed it, even the hike down.

Red Monkey on the trail

After the bus ride home and a short rest we headed out again, this time by car to Seawall on the other side of the island to explore more tide pools in hopes of seeing the elusive sea star. We saw a great many mussels and legions of periwinkles but no sea stars which will have to wait for a future trip.

After our return to camp it was time to make a fire and dinner. We dined on macaroni and cheese (with hot dogs and summer squash added for some extra nutrition) and then enjoyed our fire. For desert we roasted marshmallows and made s’mores, without which no camping trip would be complete for Maura.

In the morning we broke camp and headed home. I had to work in the evening and there was a long way to go. The weekend was far too short but despite the busy pace it was fun and relaxing.

Camping Near Gettysburg, or the Adventures of Red Monkey

Last week was April vacation for Maura so we took a family trip. We chose Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as our destination. I had always wanted to go there and see the place where the Battle of Gettysburg was fought. It also had the advantage of being close enough to drive to for a long weekend but far enough south that it was likely to be warmer than here in Massachusetts. We knew we wanted to camp, because we all enjoy it, but local campgrounds aren’t open yet in April, with good reason.

We left before dawn Thursday morning and made good time. Our route took us through six states. We were in our third state before we stopped for breakfast and in Pennsylvania already by the time we stopped for lunch. We reached Caledonia State Park, on the western slope of South Mountain, in plenty of time to make camp and dinner before nightfall. We set up our new tent and constructed a shelter over the picnic table with a tarp and some rope tied to trees, with a few spare tent poles to keep the tarp above our heads as we cooked and ate our meals. Desert we made over the campfire. No camping trip is complete without roasted marshmallows when camping with a seven-year-old.

On Friday we drove over the mountain to Gettysburg. We followed the auto tour of the battlefield. For me the highlight of the tour was when we stood on the top of Little Round Top, where the Union forces had arrived in the nick of time to keep the Confederates from taking the high ground that dominated the Union lines, thereby perhaps winning the battle on its second day if they had succeeded. Then we went to the High Water Mark of the Rebellion, where Pickett’s charge briefly broke the Union line, only to be driven back by a counterattack, turning the battle into a Union victory. In my mind’s eye I could see the progress of the battle and almost smell the powder smoke and the blood. I have a better appreciation now of the incredible courage and fortitude shown by both sides.

Along the way during our tour we stopped to take pictures, featuring Red Monkey, won in a carnival game the day before we left on our adventure. We have pictures of him at the Peace Memorial, on Little Round Top, at the High Water Mark, and at the top of more than one observation tower. There is even a shot of him in the barrel of a cannon.

While I could have explored every corner of the battlefield and stayed there for our entire trip, Maura and Jennifer were both a little tired of military history by mid-afternoon and we decided to spend some time in town. We wandered around the streets of Gettysburg for a while reading historical plaques and doing some shopping. Before we headed back to camp we visited the David Wills House, a museum in the home of the man responsible for creating the Gettysburg National Cemetery, at the dedication of which Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address. President Lincoln stayed there the night before he gave his famous speech and we had the opportunity to learn more about the cemetery and the Address on our visit to the museum.

On Saturday we took the morning off from history to enjoy nature for a while. We hiked on the Charcoal Hearth Trail, and a few bits of other trails to connect it to our camp. The trail climbed Graeffenburg Hill through mixed forest of hardwoods and pines resplendent with the greenery and flowers of high spring. Despite the few rain drops that fell on us before we made it back to camp it was a wonderful hike. The trail was steep, rugged and long enough to be a challenge, but not too much of one. We felt like we had accomplished something when we arrived back at camp but we still had enough energy to enjoy the rest of our day.

After a rest in camp, a shower, and change of clothes we headed back to Gettysburg for a few hours before dinner, which we planned to eat in a restaurant in town. On the way from camp we visited Mr. Ed’s Elephant Museum, billed as the largest elephant museum in the world. The museum houses Mr. Ed’s personal collection of elephants—carved elephants, plushy elephants, elephants in photographs and elephants on circus posters. The museum is free, and a lot of fun; and it is attached to a candy shop that sells wonderful homemade fudge.

Arriving in Gettysburg a few hours before dinner time we took in a bit more of the town before we ate. One place we went was the Shriver House Museum, a house restored as much as possible to its appearance in 1863, when the battle was fought. On our tour of the house, led by a guide in period costume, we learned about the experience of the people who lived there and of their neighbors during and after the battle. Though only one civilian died during the battle it produced much danger and hardship for the people of the town. Maura particularly enjoyed the Shriver House because the family had included two little girls, about her age at the time of the battle, and their story was part of the story told on the tour.

Though we couldn’t get a table at either of the restaurants we had planned to eat at we had a nice dinner in the Springhouse Tavern in the basement of the Dobbin House tavern. The food was good, as was the atmosphere with colonial décor reflecting the construction of the building in 1776. The spring gives the room its name bubbled in one corner. The tavern also had the advantage of being less expensive than the main dining room, probably a good thing for us.

After dinner we headed back to camp and went to bed. We were tired and planned to hit the road early in the morning. During the night heavy rain fell but fortunately our tent was up to its job of keeping us dry. We hit the road early as planned, stopping for a delicious diner breakfast on our long trip back to Massachusetts.

Disaster, Adventure and Fear of the Dark

Last week was a tough week at our house. The nor’easter that dropped eight or more inches of rain on us flooded our basement. The knee-high water wrecked our water heater and shorted-out all of the electrical parts of the furnace. We had to have the gas and the electricity shut off to the house for safety. For a few days we had no lights, no heat, no hot water and no way to cook inside. We were greatly inconvenienced but we did our best to keep up our normal live. Maura still went to school, skating lessons and Girl Scouts. Jennifer and I still went to work.

As inconvenient as it was being without gas and electricity the experience was not all negative, especially for Maura. We were camping in our own house. While it was chilly at night, and in the early morning, the rain was followed by several days of mild sunny weather and it was never so cold that piled blankets could not keep away the chill. We ate out a few times partly because we were pressed for time. The whole family enjoys eating out, though Jennifer and I worried about the money we were spending. When time allowed I set up the camp stove and cooked outside, which Maura loved. It really made the experience seem like a camping trip and has Maura fired up for our planned expedition in April.

Having no power had an additional benefit I would not have expected. We had been leaving the hall light on when Maura went to bed because she was afraid of the dark. We couldn’t do that when there was no power so she had no choice but to go to sleep without it. When the lights were back on she asked her mother to leave the hall light off. Sometimes all it takes to get over the fear of the dark is to spend a little time in darkness.

Everything is back to normal in our house now. The water is out of the basement, the power and gas are on, and we have a working furnace and water heater. I’ll worry every time it rains for awhile and we’ll probably be installing a pump the summer, though it won't see much use. We’ve lived in our house for more than ten years and despite the fact that our foundation has cracks we can see through and our basement has a dirt floor and no drain we’ve never had serious flooding before, even when we had almost as much rain. The flood of 2010 will be one for our personal record books, one we hope will not be repeated in our lifetimes.