Home Again, Home Again...

So the classic family vacation has come to an end. Early start from Maine landed us home about 1pm after dropping off The Beast. I had forgotten how big and loud that thing was until we got into Gail's car. The Beast (Forest River SunSeeker 3100) took very good care of all of us. From the 110km/hour Canadian highways to the pothole stricken dirt roads it took everything we threw at it. And we took pretty good care of it, other than the time we almost drove off with the awning out and antenna still up. Not bad. Oh, actually - and that mirror thing...

After getting back 'down state' we realized how urban the area is. We really got a chance to see some beautiful parts of the world we may not get the chance to see again.



















So what started as a request by Michael to see Acadia National Park (He studied it in 5th grade) turned into one of the greatest family vacations ever. The kids were a great age for it, the places we went (for the most part) were very special and the weather even cooperated.

I will always cherish the past two weeks. For the adventure, for the great experience the kids had but most of all, for the special time Gail and I were able to spend together. She really is the best.

Thank you all for following our adventure and for your comments. The blog was really fun for all of us and i hope you enjoyed it too. (And that it wasn't the 2009 version of that slide show folks used to make their friend sit through.)

That said, there is nothing like your own bed. (your own bed.)

-EK

Saco/Old Orchard KOA, Kennebunkport

Great last day!

Beautiful weather (Sophie's hair has never been so easy to manage)!

We journeyed out of the park to Old Orchard Beach area: a beach, boardwalk, arcade, amusement-park and tons of t-shirt shops. Bought the kids skim boards for when we go to the beach back home. (They were very cheap - we expect them to fall apart the first time they try to use them.)

A little cheesey, but the kids loved it. The arcade and carnival-like rides were perfect settings for one of those creepy, suspenseful kind of movies where everyone is having fun, carnival music is playing but lurking in the shadows is some sort of disturbed guy... So like I said, the kids loved it and Evan and I enjoyed (at the time) fried clams (perfect place for them) but can't really talk about them now as it makes me a little sick.

After we had enough of that place (forever) we continued on to Kennebunkport. We looked hard for George and Laura and the gang, but to no avail. Very cute, tony town that had its share of t-shirt shops too, but at least the t-shirt sayings didn't have to be explained to the kids. "Kennebunkport" and "Maine" was pretty self-explanatory.


We made it back to our KOA by 4 and went right to the pool. Most of us swam and just had fun hanging out on our last afternoon. Sophie loves the playground and she and Cameron have played a few games of checkers up at the main house. We ordered pizza and brownie sundaes from the Merry Moose on site and the kids and Evan are now starting... our LAST fire! Evan was trying to back out of making one tonight, but that got shot down pretty quickly. Kids going to an 8:30 movie back at the Merry Moose - hopefully we'll still be awake when they get back!

There is a perky little red-head lurking around camp that keeps biking circles around us asking Michael if he will bike with her, play with her, swim with her, etc. Clearly she has not been taught what a polite brush-off sounds like.

Tonight at dinner we listed our favorite camps according to best view, most amenities, most unique, nicest kids, cleanest pool, hottest showers, etc. Hard to pick an overall winner as they all offered something that made this trip our best family vacation yet...

So Ev, we did it! You did an amazing job of planning this trip, from the RV parks, to the excursions, to driving the Beast to making fire (so manly) and for keeping us all happy, safe and together.

Thanks to all of you for following along... see you around the 'hood and beyond!

Au revoir, Canada

Another great night’s sleep under the stars (well, RV roof, then stars).

Today we left Annapolis Royal, stopping in Digby for a great breakfast. The pancakes were the size of dinner plates oozing with chocolate chips, living up to the name of the shop: A Little Bit of Heaven. We were the only patrons but think we covered their overhead for the next year or so.

We continued on to Yarmouth - a sleepy old town that was made even quieter because it’s Sunday - where we boarded the Cat Ferry back to Portland. A large vessel, mini-cruise, very sleek-looking boat that boasts a casino and 3 or 4 lounges each showing 2 movies. With Izzy safely (but probably not happy)inside the Beast, safely inside the Cat, Evan and I are in the Yarmouth Lounge waiting for 7 Pounds (Will Smith) to start - a movie!! The kids are in the adjacent lounge waiting for Bolt to begin, followed by Monsters Vs. Aliens. They have already asked for money for popcorn, pizza and apparently Cameron is on the hunt for a large party chip bag that he has spotted others enjoying. There are a bunch of different concession spots, so he is checking them all out. We told them one shareable (yeah, right) item per hour. It’s a 5-hour ride.



We decided against a whale-watch tour when we were in Digby as most outfits had said the tours were over 5 hours long because the sightings were few and far between (it's a little early - high season is end of July into August). BUT... about an hour into the Cat trip, the captain announced that there was a humpback within view. It was so cool!

After a really quick drive from the ferry in Portland we are at our final RV park - a fully-loaded (great heated pool, cute log-cabin general store, Wifi, pizza delivery, playground, game room, etc.) very woodsy KOA. We talked about a final hike tomorrow(our last full day) but may just end up at an amusement park/boardwalk/beach area. Don't worry readers, we'll let you know either way...

This Ain't No KOA

We found a really cool campground in Anapolis Royal. Got a great spot right at the waters edge off the Bay of Fundy. And thankfully no one is in front of us because there is some trash at this place. And I'm not talking about the garbage kind. I guess it was bound to happen. I am pretty sure the couple in the site next to us are brother and sister... if you know what i mean...

Anyhow - kids swam in the water and the pool, kayaked a bit and just riding bikes. They are very much looking forward to the raging fire tonight which i have become an expert at (thank you very much)



Gail is keeping us all sane and fed and having fun.

We are hoping to catch a whale watch tour tomorrow if the weather holds.

Touring NS

I write as we’re driving from The Ovens to Anapolis Royal.

We rushed through yesterday’s blog due to limited access but that leg of our journey deserves a bit more. It’s hard to put on paper (or screen) why that place was so special. Upon arrival The Ovens campsite was not impressive except for its natural surroundings. Like I said before, the bathrooms and showers were pretty tired, the pool, even the picnic tables.

But the views and vistas, trails and cliffs, water caves and climbing rocks combined with the friendliest, most down-to-earth, interesting people working there gave it a bit of magic. The cast of characters that we met at the Ol’ Miner Diner both nights could not have been scripted better. (We’re still not sure if the woman wearing reflective crossing-guard gear and a wool hat holding light bulbs was Steve’s wife, an employee or visitor) Leading the group was Steve Chapin and his son Jonathan.



They are up here from Memorial Day to Labor day entertaining folks day and night. When not serving homemade soups, suppers and desserts, as well as wine and beer, Jonathan is accompanying Steve on bass. The tunes are all 30s and 40s show tunes but with the folksy Chapin spin. The kids offered them their gold pans to autograph, our best keepsakes yet.

A day late, but sending happy birthday wishes to Gene.

Nova Scotia

Never fear, readers... we're back in blogging business!

Yesterday we left PEI and headed to Halifax. A city!! Had a little trouble parking The Beast but we ended up backing the thing into a spot (with Gail's expert navigating) right in the main section of the harbor. Halifax was a sight for sore eyes with buildings and coffee houses and crowds and pubs... oh yeah, and a pretty impressive Citadel. It was great. We took a Harbour Hopper (like a Duck Tour) and learned all about Halifax - the Halifax Explosion and lots of other interesting historic facts that are escaping me right now. Lots of colleges in Halifax and seems like a real fun place to spend some time. Sir Paul McCartney was playing an outdoor concert the next night. So we got out of there (kidding... what's with us and the incoming concerts?) We ate at the Economy Shoe Shop - really cool pub, filled our bellies and headed back to The Beast.




We continued driving to right outside of Lunenburg to a campsite called The Ovens, a natural park and RV/Camp site that is owned by the Chapin Family. Steve Chapin (Harry's brother) runs it: he is the nightly music entertainment, the breakfast maker and overall friendly boss. We arrived just in time for music and wine at the ol' miner diner (the restaurant on the property) and met some of the greatest characters on earth. Even some Brooklyn transplants! After the music and drinks the most amazing orange moon rose over the water. Our camera didn't do it justice so you will have to take our word for it.

The site itself could use a little updating - first time this trip that our RV shower is the better pick. The salt water pool left a little to be desired and we actually had to weed and form our own fire pit. Also had trouble getting the RV level but hey..

Today we ate a hearty breakfast and explored The Ovens. Really cool trail of cliffs and caves that gold diggers used in the 1800's. After the hike (yes another hike) we bought some pans and dug for gold (seriously). The kids were really excited about it and we are not sure how much real gold they found but we did have fun trying.



We then headed to LeHave (via a 3 minute ferry ride) to the artsy LeHave community where we went to a well known bakery and had the best lunch. There was a cool (but a little unfriendly) skateboard shop above it (Home Grown) Had a Half pipe on the third floor of this historic building...

Afterward we got back in the Beast and visited Hirdles Beach (thanks Jonathan Chapin for the great insiders tip). A stretch of sand bridged the ocean and a fresh water pond that the kids (including Izzy)swam in. Absolutely beautiful.


After we (tried to) remove every grain of sand off Izzy, we left and headed to Lunenburg for dinner where we now sit blogging this. On the way, we passed an alpaca farm (llama-type animal)that Evan seems to think his friend's mother owns. Only Evan!


And to the Anonymous posting about the mussels in Mamaroneck... Enjoy those, we hear they are plentiful in the L.I.Sound....( kidding.. Tell us when you want to meet us there...)

So long, PEI

Tonight is our last night in PEI... the kids are begging us to extend it another night but the park is completely booked for a huge country concert this weekend (Reba and Tim are coming...)

I've changed my mind about our neighbors - really nice people from Ontario. 3 families, and our kids have all hit it off. (Everyone ended up watching the movie last night. I couldn't believe they didn't serve popcorn!) It's the people parked a few spots from us that worry me - the guy wears pajama bottoms all day.

The Ceilidh was really fun but when I first entered the Hall I did feel like I was in a made-for-TV-movie or in an episode of Little House. Intermission was held in the basement of the Hall where they were holding a 50-50 raffle of a quilt. (Dad, I didn't win.) Cameron was chatting it up with the keyboardist, telling him that he played the cello. They may have even exchanged emails :)

Kids had new soda today: Raspberry Cordial that all of their friends insisted they try. I guess I should've checked for any alcohol content before I gave it to them. At some point they want to hit a market and buy all of the chocolate bars they can't get at home. Tracey, aeros sound familiar?

Paula, good call on the Cup o Noodles...

Evan is reading Anne of Green Gables to Sophie - a PEI classic.

Big Happy Birthday to Elizabeth! Hope you had a great day!!! Sending you birthday hugs from Canada!!

If it is Wednesday... It's Ceilidh Nite

Great day today in PEI. Sunny and 22 degrees C (that is about 72 F)

After the kids played with their new park friends (i think they love our fast talking New York youts) we went to the beautiful Cavendish Beach. really beautiful scene. soft sandy beach. frigid water. Once again Cam and Sophie braved it for a dip. Michael made an amazing sand castle and Gail and I read, napped and provided sporadic parental beach support.







Afterwards we drove The Beast to Charlottetown. The capital of PEI. I think Canada was founded in Charlottetown with The Confederation but all we found were ice cream shops and t-shirts stores. Actually that's not true, we also found an amazing mussels restaurant. Gail likes mussels and always asks me to try them. I do eat oysters and even steamers now and then but never been a mussels fan. Now i see what she was saying. We had really good mussels (I know because Gail said so) Place was called Flex Mussels and i believe they opened a restaurant in NYC so check it out next time you are in the city if mussels are your thing.

So in the Jay, MyRye.com style, here is photo of our dish. YUM!





So what is a ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee)? It is a traditional Gaelic social dance originating in Ireland and Scotland and it is common throughout this area. So we went to this Ceilidh that was held in the local community hall which was built in 1848. the performance was by The Ross family (two brother and two sisters) Consisted of a violin, drums, guitar and keyboard and lots of step dancing River Dance style. The hall was filled with locals and it was a hoot. So if you ever get the chance, check out the neighborhood ceilidh. I hope they didn't mind me parking The Beast on the front lawn of the Hall...

So one more thing before I sign off for the night... Evan and I decided to take Iz to the dog walk one more time for the night and were gone for maybe 12 minutes. Upon our return, there were a gaggle of kids in front of our RV watching Cam and Mike play swing ball (aahhh, Avalon). It's like Teen Night at the YMCA, only there's no texting going on.

And this is probably to our neighbor's dismay as they have just started their feature film for the night on a FULL SCREEN that those miles away can see and hear! What are they watching, you ask? RV, of course!

You all know this is what you were waiting to hear...

G'night!

That darn fire... again

Ate lunch at an outdoor eatery called the Sandbox. Swings at the bar, sandbox inside for kids to entertain themselves. No dogs allowed on the deck, so Izzy waited patiently for
us.





Took the kids to a very small amusement park down the road today. It was a throwback to I don't know when, but it was all very civilized and sweet and the main attraction, the "Cyclone" only sounded like tin cans once in a while. They had a blast. I couldn't watch them on the Go-Karts, as Cameron was in the lead and was not about to give it up.



On the way back, stopped at the petting farm where Sophie pet the kittens and goat, cow and pigs. As quaint as it sounds, I couldn't get out of there fast enough.

Tracey, remember that instant bbq you gave me - almost made chicken kebobs on them tonight. Had to finish them off in the microwave, but still had that good charcoal taste (tho the kids hated that charcoal taste so it was pasta with butter and chips and salsa for them).

Not loving our KOA neighbors, tho can't really put a finger on why. Maybe it's the music blasting from their truck, or maybe I'm just jealous that they made scallops and mussels in their fish fry. It's almost like they have a circus RV - 2 people go in, 7 come out.

Kids just left to participate in a scavenger hunt. Beforehand, Cameron took a hayride through the woods where he said stuffed animals were placed all around and they had to count them. Apparently he made friends, because when we were eating dinner, 3 16-year-old girls walked by and greeted, "Hi Caaaaaameron!"

And as usual.... the fire is now a full blaze. S'mores anyone?

KOA, PEI

As Evan said it was a long day. A very long day of passing through towns that hosted a post office, a strawberry stand and a fish cake and bean supper on Sundays. The landscape and terrain were beautiful indeed but give me something to look at other than cows and grass - a strip mall, a factory... anything!

The drive was hopefully our longest one we'll make which is a good thing because we all were a little cranky especially when we were driving through construction and on v. bumpy roads (I really thought the TV was going to come crashing off the wall) and couldn't find a gas station for a good bit. Probably not one of our finer moments.

Hopewell Rocks was a cool stop-over tho I think the kids liked the golf cart ride down to the rocks better than the actual rocks.

This KOA in PEI is bigger than the last, with lots of things for the kids (jumpy pillow, huge playground, petting zoo, hayrides, pool, etc) We are not directly on the beach but it is a close walk as is Adventure Land (boardwalk, shops, restaurants, games, rides, water park). We are setting out soon to explore - took the morning off and relaxed at camp. It will be nice to leave the Beast parked for a couple of days.

Congratulations to the Fogartys - can't wait to meet Lex!

The Jump

Long day of driving yesterday. About 450 miles. Some of it along a very bumpy route 1 along the coast of Maine. (Yes David - there was some shouting)

We stopped to feed The Beast and Gail asked the woman behind the counter if there was a Dunkin Dounuts near by (makes you proud, right susan?) The lady laughed and said "Dear, you are at the end of the earth, there ain't nothin like that out here." She should have asked for a Starbucks...

So the glutton i am, I made the trip even longer by taking detour to the Hopewell Rocks. It is very cool rock formation left by the eroding sandstone along the Bay of Fundy. The highest tides in the world are in the Bay of Fundy (about 40-50feet!) Fortunately we were there at low tide so we got to walk the ocean floor around the rocks. Looked a little like Easter island heads...



Izzy was afraid of the step going down so i had to carry her...

Then on to Prince Edward Island. Crossed a very long bride (Confederation Bridge- about 7 miles long. Saw some amazing rainbows along the drive.

Then we crossed the island a bit to get to Cavendish Beach just before dark. (it is an hour ahead up here)




Park looks like a ton of fun for the kids. Jumping pillow etc. Not as scenic as the last park but we are across the street from the National Park and beach.




Beautiful and sunny today about 20 degrees C

RV Park Update

It seems to have cleared out today. The friends Sophie made are gone and all that is left is Unlce Ron (I know, I know) and Jon the fiddler player. A few NY license plates but not the New York we know and love...

Michael is enjoying yet another of the Condron's movies - Poppy wish you were here - I think it's the Naked Gun 33 and a third, while Sophie has gone fishing and Cam and Evan tend the fire.

Thanks for all the comments - we love reading them! This is truly a great time and I hope we can convince even just one of you to try it some day...

Pancakes, Fiddle and a Cadillac

Started the morning with some pancakes (and yes, a musician playing fiddle???) and beautiful blue skies.

Planned our last hike in Acadia up Cadillac Mountain. Highest peak on the Atlantic Coastline (about 1,200 ft) Very cold and windy at the top but beautiful views of the entire island (Acadia is on Mount Desert Island). We actually hiked down the mountain a bit and then back up again. Very tough hiking actually but everyone was game.

So maybe we are doing too much hiking.... As you can tell from this picture, I think the kids are done for a while.















Even Izzy tried to hide...










After our hike and quick lunch, we headed to Echo Lake for a swim. Cameron and Sophie were the only ones brave enough to go in. Though Michael did dip his toes a bit. Gail soaked up the sun and it felt good to relax a bit. Vistas were beautiful at the lake and with the help of a park ranger, we got to see a fledgling Peragine Falcon up on the cliff. (certainly a highlight for Gail)



Back at the park the kids participated in an independence parade and are enjoying their last night here.

Tomorrow morning we hit the road and head to Prince Edward Island some 400 miles away...

Luckily we still have OUR rearview mirrors...

Did Anybody Say Rearview Mirror?

Hope everyone enjoyed the 4th - here's wishing all of our friends and family a happy kick-off to the summer; may the days be sunny and spirits high. A special wish to Alexia for continued progress and bright and happy days... you and your family are an inspiration to us all.



We spent the majority of the day yesterday in Bar Harbor. After many back and forths of whether we should take the shuttle service downtown or travel Beast-style, we opted for the latter. We knew it was risky due to high traffic and limited RV parking, but decided to brave it. It all would have been so successful if we (and when I say we I mean Evan) hadn't knocked the rear-view mirror off of a parked RV as we searched for parking. It was quite a bang and so far on this trip it's the only thing that has completely silenced the kids other than sleep. Our RV was unharmed but its driver became a touch tense as he beautifully steered the Beast to its spot.




We did what any New Yorker would do and left an apologetic note with our phone number. We haven't heard from him/her. Weird, huh? Sincere apologies all around.

Bar Harbor is a great town with great inns - lots of shops (Evan's favorite) and multiple ice cream stores (which helped with the tension). Village Green was festive with a pops concert and the harbor equally so with entertainment, ships, boats, etc. At low tide the islands across from BH are walkable - but you only have 90 minutes to explore otherwise you're waiting 6 hours for the next tide change.




Ate at a great restaurant/pub called MacKays that offered one of the best dish of mussels we've ever had (tho if we were w/o kids, we would've eaten at Havana.) It was here that we realized Michael can no longer order off of the kid's menu (Cameron stopped years ago) because the portion of steak he received was laughable.





Cameron happily took pictures of all the Hancock streets we encountered: street, lane, road... Mr. Illium would be so happy. (According to Cam, Hancock was the only one who signed the D of I on July 4th - everyone else signed it some time in August. Now I didn't Google this to see if he is correct, so please refrain from commenting if this is inaccurate!)

The fireworks were colorful (what else does one say about fireworks? ) and the red, white and blue day was a great one. The rearview mirror mishap became a distant memory... AND we beat the shuttle back to camp.

Happy 4th

Hey Jules - this is all bringing back the memory of Aunt Bert's RV, except that we are on level ground here so our heads are higher than our feet when we sleep. Also, there's actually ice cream at the ice cream social and water in the pool. But we had fun, didn't we? So in a way, I am more prepared than than any one for this experience!
-G

Friday Night at the Park

I feel the energy - the campers are rolling in and spirits are high. Really good people watching right about now. With our fire in full force (yes, full force) we are sitting at our red and white covered picnic table drinking beer, eating cheese and crackers and swatting the flies off our bodies. The kids have linked up with their buddies, most of them having never left the park, surely awaiting the Kamer's return. (Okay, not really, but I don't think they've left.) Cameron rides by occasionally reminding Evan to put another log on the fire.

After our hike we made our way to Northeast Harbor, an upscale, Ryeish kind of Main Street. Everyone knew each other, had house accounts at the gourmet market and looked at our RV with looks of disdain. It was great. After ordering lobster rolls and chowder to go from Dockside (a recommended pit stop) we journeyed back to where we truly feel comfortable, scary as that may seem.

A big thank you to the Grays for all of their insight (they did this trip last summer) and to Aunt Pam for the lot of inappropriate DVDs she shared with us. (btw, the hummus survived thx to the 17 minute rule). Thanks for all of the comments - we love reading them! Jay Sears do I have a photo for you - the perfectly baked blueberry pie in the aforementioned blog. I'm now embarrassing my kids by taking photos EVERYWHERE! Uncle David, the corn dogs are next week, darn we'll be gone. Paula, the cup o noodles was a great tip. Thanks to the Shaws for hooking us up with their very distant relatives in Nova Scotia - we just may give them a call. Arlene, Greasy Nicks is always a good call, Ethan sorry we missed you.

Does anyone know how much Deep Woods Off is too much? We're going to start cooking with it...

Acadia Mountain Hike

Lynn's Acadia book turned out to be a gem. had a hiking trail that no other book had. Acadia Mountain Trail on the western side of the island. Not many people use it but it was great (and strenuous) After rising through the forest to a spectacular (some fog obscured the views) lookout on top of Acadia Mountain, the trail drops off nearly 600 ft in about a half mile. I only had to carry Izzy once. There was a small waterfall at the base of the mountain that was tough to get to but cool.

Inside The Beast

Poured hard last night at 230am. Lightning and all. Was feeling bad until I thought of all the tenters here at the park. Must have been a tough night for them.

Foggy morning today in Maine. Who knew?

Here are some pictures from within the belly of The Beast.

Sleeping works out with three beds upfront. (one is the table converted) other is the sofa converted and one on top of the driving cab.

Gail and i have the "master suite" in back.

There's No Place Like Car

So after an amazing morning of hiking the Beehive and the Bowl (I am man enough to admit i was a bit scared at times on the hike) we headed home. Well, to the RV park, actually, to The Beast.

Kids spent the afternoon playing on the rocks, biking, renting some weird sit and lean cycle thing and making new friends playing kickball. The park is actually pretty comfortable.

So Dinner... Why can't i make a fire? I know the wind was blowing but I am so good at it at home, why can't i use the fire ring and get the damn thing to lite? I even had one of those charcoal chimney things. I tried but i lost... I'll get it next time.

So how good is this? There is a guy who comes to the park every day makes lobster dinners. He got the lobsters from the dock at 430 and he steamed ours at 630. They were unreal. as was the corn, coleslaw, melted butter and wine. And then, just when you think your dinner with your beautiful wife overlooking the bay could not get any better... ding-a ling-a-ling ... (no not Good Humor) a couple was riding around in their station wagon selling fresh made apple and blueberry pies!!!! Right to our RV, I mean The Beast, I mean our home. There's no place like home.

BTW - I got the fire going and now the kids are making Smores with their new friends.

Day 2, mid-afternoon

After a decent night's sleep (surprise, surprise) we all awoke refreshed and ready for the day. After an RV breaky of fruity pebbles and clementines, we made our way to Acadia. We stopped at the visitor's center (had to walk 52 steps to get to it) paid our entrance fee ($20 for a week) and learned about the cairns, small man-made rock formations to assist the hikers.

Our goal was to hike the Beehive Mountain trail, a 542 feet incline. There were 2 ways to get to the top - an arduous back-of-the mountain hike complete with rocks, rocks and more rocks, that the girls took (Izzy included) and a very steep, fear-factor front-of-the-mountain hike that required the use of metal ladders and rungs - which the boys took. We reunited at the top to admire the vista, fog and all.

Afterwards, tired and hungry we went to a restaurant for lobster rolls, chowder and Maine's finest chicken fingers. Michael did a stellar job of directing Evan out of the parking lot.

Now we are back at the KOA where the kids are biking around recruiting others for a kickball game. We plan on cooking out tonight and putting to test all of the camping equipment we so diligently packed.

Aside from the family with the blow-up palm tree decorations, it is a surprisingly one-with-nature, biking (not Harley), hiking and low-key kind of crowd. With the Western Bay of Mt. Desert Narrows in full-view, a bottle of wine chilling in the fridge, and 3 happy kids floating in and out of our "home," I am pleasantly surprised at how nice this is. (And for all of you who voted me most likely to cry first, ha, it was Izzy.) I did, however, refer to Evan as an a------ when at one point the refrigerator door swung open mid-drive and the hommus fell out. He expressed frustration that the door was not closed properly and hence, the name-calling. But it's all good, tho I did have to explain to Sophie that what I called Daddy actually wasn't very nice.

Thanks to Liz for all of the good tips - if only we had read the list before we left because citronella candles would've been great! As would pegs for hanging. But hey, there's always Wal-Mart (which we haven't really seen).

The mosquitos are loving Sophie - along with a mouth full of missing teeth, she now has welts on her face, proof of her sweetness.

-G

450 miles, 8 hours and 2 teeth

Picked up the RV which we now affectionately refer to as "The Beast." 31 ft long, 13 ft high, 8ft wide and extremely spacious for a family of 5 (not). Driving was a little easier than i thought but took some getting used to. Had a ton of fun on the road playing games, watching movies and drove past an old woman being arrested for DUI road side... Cameron loved that. Big shout out to Amanda for the CC cookies she baked for us. Man those are good!!!

Stopped in Freeport to shop at the LLBean outlets along the way. Michael and Sophie went ammo shopping and Cameron got the boot.

Last hour of driving got a bit tricky as darkness caught us but we are here. All hooked up and ready for bed.

Hope the tooth fairy knows we are in Acadia. Sophie pulled out TWO of her teeth on the ride...

ZZZzzzzz


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