NBNC>SYRNY: May 28-29, 2014

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Site 115 Green Lakes SP NY

Our first day in Green Lakes and we awaken to…listen for it….yup, rain drops. Welcome to upstate New York, the home of gray, overcast clouds followed immediately with precipitation in either the frozen or liquid form. Towards to end of the day the sun peeked through, briefly, and then hoards of mosquitoes. While filling up with water last night when we got to the campground there were swarms of skeeters surrounding Dave. Looked like a shot from the movie “bugs-are-us.”  

Site 51 American Heritage in Williamsburg VA

Our travels from Williamsburg to Syracuse yesterday was uneventful, nearly ten hours long and safe. During our 579 miles we by-passed the I-95 mess around Washington/Baltimore by heading westward on route 17 to route 66 and then 81 north.  Following through the scenic route 17 we passed by pine and hardwood forests. And, as the mind wanders while putting miles under our feet, I could not help but wonder: when you are driving along and large trees are lying on the ground do you wonder if anyone heard the tree when it felled? Was there a large thunk when the tree hit the ground? Did the ground rumble? Did the driver passing by just then wonder why their car skittered across the road like there was an earthquake? Just wondering.  Let me know if you are wondering, too.

When we arrived at Green Lakes at 7 o'clock we set up quickly because of the swarming skeeters and settle in for the night. Thursday morning as we drive through the park we open the windows and we are surrounded by the sweet fragrance of wild honeysuckle twining its invasiveness on the roadside. The perfume in the air is intoxicating. Too bad this photo is not a scratch-n-sniff! Green Lakes is a great place to see nature at its wonder. We watched a doe-to-be munching on greened plants and woodchucks skittering the roadside. Reminding us that our upstate New York is beautiful when still blooming into the spring. 

Debbie and Doug Costello

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Today the temperature peeked at a balmy 64! Although still overcast skies and in need of jackets we tore down the fence at Dave's parents home, which will make mighty fine firewood for us while up here. An evening of enjoyment was spent with Dave's brother and wife, Doug and Debbie.

NBNC>SYRNY: May 26-May 27 2014

Monday, May 26, 2014

America, the Beautiful

On this Memorial Day as we remember those veterans who served our country to give us our freedoms, we are surrounded by ghosts of history here in Williamsburg. We followed the Colonial Parkway to Yorktown, following the York River through acres of marshland. We drove through Yorktown, where past and present merely crossed the main road. 

Yorktown Surrender

 During the battles and conflicts of the Revolution, a destructive fire in 1814, and the Civil War there are few reminders of the 18^th century now. But one can sense a ghost-like atmosphere where once armed British forces laid down their weapons and surrendered and became a place where our independence was won.  

We continued our way along the parkway to Jamestown, the site of the first English colony of the early 1600s, as we skirted along the James River. 

Jamestown Island Drive

Once in Historic Jamestowne we continued to Jamestown Island where we followed the drive through stands of beech, hickory, and walnut. We picnic lunched at the Jamestown visitor center enjoying the shade of a stately hickory tree. 

Colonial Parkway

Continuing back along the parkway we figured there would be a whole lot of hurt to the motorhome if we tried going along this route. 

Black Racer Snake

We strolled through a few shops in Williamsburg, found a home that we rented pre-motorhome and returned to camp. However, we did stop at a hardware store, where we picked up a hitchhiker…a black racer snake…who slithered aboard the jeep via the tire well. We could not get to the snake before it decided to glide the inner front tire and we hesitantly peered under the hood when we got to the campground. We are really hoping it went thump thump off the rolling tire and became roadkill on route 607.

Tomorrow we begin our 8-hour schlep northbound to final destination of Green Lakes State Park near Syracuse, where we will level down until the end of June, with intermission of two weekends on Oneida Lake.