The Adirondacks

August 29, 2015

Sunset at Robert Moses State Park on the Canadian border

We're sitting in our RV on the Canadian border in a forest on the St. Lawrence River. The sun has set and the soothing sounds of crickets and tree frogs fills the air. Playing over our sound system is a pleasant mix of plaintive music, including the current song, R.E.M. "Find The River." The music is just loud enough to be heard, but the sounds of the crickets is always there, and comes to the forefront during the spaces between the songs. Now, it's Bruce singing "If I Should Fall Behind." It's a magical feeling being here and soaking in the sounds.

New York Rough Roads

How did we get here? When we last left you, we were in the Finger Lakes. We pulled out of our campground on Seneca Lake and headed into the Adirondack Mountains. When we were traveling through the Midwest, there was a tremendous amount of road construction going on. But not here. Something I've noticed since we've been in New York, when the roads are in need of repair, instead of fixing them, they put a sign that says, "Rough Road." However, the roads are not nearly as rough as some of the roads in California around San Francisco. There, drivers have to deal with huge potholes, large cracks in the roadway and other obstacles. Here in New York, a rough road is defined as one that has a few cracks here and there. Nothing that Dolly can't handle.

Home is where Dolly the Dolphin is - The Adirondacks!

We pulled into the Adirondack Camping Village, which is just outside of the town of Lake George. It was a lovely spot in the woods. We opened up the awning and set up camp. It was so comfortable that we spent a day just sitting at our campsite. There was plenty for Satch and Bebop to explore to keep them occupied. On our second day, we found a farmer's market nearby and we stocked up on fresh foods. We grilled our dinner and sat around the campfire. It was great to unwind after all of the activities that had surrounded the wedding.

Farmer's Market in Chestertown NY

The town of Lake George looks like a resort mountain town. It is full of hotels, motels and gift shops. It's a place where folks bring their speedboats, or kayaks to enjoy the beauty of the Adirondacks.

Bebop checks the Adirondacks

We took off from our campsite and drove further North driving through the Adirondack Mountains. Since we are sticking to mostly two-lane roads, we go through a lot of small towns. Seeing America from this perspective, we see more of the polarity of distribution of wealth. We've see a lot of homes that are literally falling apart, abandoned, torched. And businesses that are boarded up. What used to be a thriving town is all but a bend in the road now. America's middle class is struggling to survive. The gap between the "haves" and the "have nots" is very apparent out on the road.

Eisenhower Lock on the St. Lawrence Seaway

We arrived at Massena, a border town in New York State. There were many cars with Canadian license plates here. They come across the border to shop at the American Mall. Our destination was Robert Moses State Park. To get there, we traveled under the Eisenhower Lock on the St. Lawrence Seaway. This is one of the 15 locks that allows ships to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes.

Here in the Eastern part of the country, we hear the cicadas chirping away throughout the day. When I was a boy growing up in Maryland, the Cicadas were the sound of summer. There's a comfort in the waves of chirps that flow from the trees. Anyone who has lived in the East or South during the summer knows the sounds of the cicadas. It's distinctive and it is part of the soundtrack of summer.

From here, we continue East toward Maine when we can drive no farther East.