“…Blame it on the rain, yeah, yeah….”

Milli Vanilli brings in today’s blog entry – which will combine Friday and Saturday’s experiences. And, just for my mom – there was an ice cream stop – 3 actually – that we did NOT stop at. Why? We’re fat! And, the weather – as the title says – was awful.

We left New Hampshire at noon on Friday – exhausted from our drive-in double feature the night before! We didn’t get back until almost 2 a.m. Vacationing is just exhausting! We had been driving for only about 10 minutes, when we noticed a sign that said “Welcome to Massachusetts”. When I said southern New Hampshire, I wasn’t kidding. Just about the time we hit “the Bay State”, it started raining. It stopped on Saturday!! The ENTIRE drive, we dealt with rain. It slowed us down, it changed our route, it made the road conditions less than desirable. We chose to not drive on the rainy, congested highway, and took more local roads. Massachusetts and Connecticut have very steep hills. We praised the Jeep constantly after it actually made it up the hill. And another. And another. Get the picture?

We did not arrive in Rhinebeck until 5:15. Our park is nice – but we got to see very little of it with pouring rain coming down. We took a quick trip to a local Stop and Shop. We wanted to pick up some goodies for visiting day on Sunday. We settled down on Friday night – at about 8 – to tornado warnings, a strong, driving rainstorm, lightening and thunder and trailer moving wind. Needless to say, I didn’t sleep that well Friday evening.

Saturday was beautiful, just hot. Luckily, our air conditioning solved that problem. We ate, slept, read, ate, walked, ate…. We made our way to the pool, and went for a refreshing swim. The park here is very quiet. There are lots of RVs here, with couples and families and pet dogs. It still was very, very quiet. This park has theme weekends. This weekend was “Christmas in July.” There were Christmas decorations around the park, Christmas movies were playing in the rec hall, and about 8 pm Saturday night, Rich looked outside and saw Santa Claus – in a golf cart. The parks often try and make the weekends fun for the families. The heat stopped us from being outside all day, as we did last Saturday in Maine. It was just impossible, as I am sure most of you found where you were. We just huddled around the air conditioning and the cold drinks.

The trivia answer from our boating outing: One obtains a boating license in NH with a written test. That’s it! Tonight’s trivia question was inspired by our drive from New Hampshire to New York. Where is the Basketball Hall of Fame? Answer in our next entry.

I am including some pics from Thursday – I hope you can tell how gorgeous a day it was, and how exquisite things were in New Hampshire. Mikaela will be home in less than 24 hours. We are very curious as to Which Mikaela will come home. Will it be a pretty innocent almost-12 year old – like the one that went to camp? Or will (as Rich suggested) “Darlene Conner” take the back seat? Will we have smiles, tears, or a fit? Will everything be “awesome!”, or will everything be “uch!” (to quote her older sister!). We will know by this time tomorrow! We’ll be in touch.
Marla and Rich

Outside Parker’s Maple Barn!

So impressive, Wendy!

Go Rich!

Gorgeous Day!

“Come sail away, come sail away, come sail away with me…”

Today was a good day! Today was a good, good day! And yet, it STILL included rock climbing! However, it was only a little bit. I hope I can convey the fun and the relaxation.
The song for today is by Styx. It really was a toss-up, I want you to know. This song tells about our day. Here is a song however, that describes where we are right now:
“Stranded, at the drive-in, branded, a fool, what will they say, Monday at school….”
Rich and I are at a DRIVE-IN!!! It’s something we haven’t done since the seventies! I think my last drive in movie was “Star Wars”. We drove out before it was over. I know, I know – I am the only person in the entire world who WALKED OUT on “Star Wars”. Deal with it. Rich’s last drive in movie was “Grease”. It’s very apropos considering the song above. We are seeing a double feature: “Inception” (which I am sure I won’t understand!), and “Grown-ups” (which we already saw!) But for $20 per carload…that works out to $5.00 per movie. Awesome! We are waiting for the movie to begin. There are tons of families with tons of children here. The Milford Drive In has a playground, and a snack bar, just like in the “old days”. The one major difference is the manner in which the sound is transmitted. We used to have a speaker that sat on your window. There aren’t any more boxes. We simply have to tune in a particular radio station, and we’re set! There is another difference I am noticing. Most of the patrons are watching the movie OUTSIDE. They have chairs, or they’re on the tailgates, OR, they have removed the bench seat from their car. It is a carefree, summer night, family activity!
While we are waiting, I can share today’s fun. My friends Wendy and Jay were our hosts today for a FANTASTIC New Hampshire experience! Wendy used to work with me at the High School about 10 years ago. She left New Jersey for greener pastures (!), and moved into the Nashua (southern NH area). Wendy still teaches high school Spanish. She met Jay, who teaches high school English, and…the rest is history! Wendy and Jay have been happily married for ….FIVE DAYS NOW!! Seriously – they were married on Sunday, and are honeymooning in a few days – and were gracious and generous enough to be our hosts AS WELL AS our entertainment for the day!
The only reason we decided to stay in this part of NH was to see Wendy and Jay. Therefore, I left the day’s activities up to them. That was such a smart move! We first met for breakfast at Parker’s Maple Barn. It is a rustic restaurant with delicious food. I had blueberry pancakes with Parker’s original maple syrup. The taste was indescribable. Then, Wendy and Jay took us to meet the rest of their family – their 2 dogs and their 2 birds. We didn’t meet Wendy’s horse – maybe next time. We followed Wendy and Jay – and their BOAT – as they led us to Glen Lake. And there, for several glorious hours, we “boated”. I watched as Jay masterfully maneuvered the boat, I watched as Wendy masterfully maneuvered “knee boarding” (who knew?), and I watched with a combination of awe, fear and hysteria as Rich gave “knee boarding” a try. This activity was NOT going to see me as a participant! Knee boarding is similar to water skiing, but you don’t rise to a standing position – you ski on a fiberglass, rubber padded board in a kneeling position. Wendy was impressive here. She rode several times, and Jay piloted the boat at (what I thought was) a high rate of speed. I loved watching. I was even helpful – I could relay the info to Jay as soon as Wendy fell off! See – I am a very useful passenger. Wendy had her fill, and wanted Rich or I to give it a try. Now we all know “Rich or I” means only Rich. He was game. He listened to Wendy’s instructions, and went for it. He gave it three or four tries – and called it a day. I think he did very well. Wendy made it look so easy – and it is so not!!
We docked at a small island in the middle of the lake, to just look around. I got out of the boat. It wasn’t pretty or graceful, but I did. I followed Wendy onto the island. That is, UP onto the island. There was an ….”incline” at the water’s edge that needed to be climbed in order to get up onto the island. Climbing…rock climbing…Rich knew what I was thinking as he watched my face! I did it – I conquered the “rocky coast”!!! The minute I hit flat land, Jay shared that the OTHER side of the island is way easier. Thanks, Wendy! Later, we ALL did spend a long time IN the water, talking and laughing and floating. It was pure heaven. The sky was blue, with many white, puffy, floating clouds. The sun was shining brightly. The water was 81 degrees, clear, blue and refreshing. With us floating in Glen Lake, riding on a 20 foot motor boat, reconnecting with a good friend, and laughing on a carefree afternoon, the day rates as one of the best – ever. Hours later, we said our goodbyes and our thanks and made our way back to our RV park. We were exhausted, a bit water-logged, and so happy.
After a delicious bbq dinner and a short rest, we headed to the drive-in – and that’s where our story began. Sincere thanks and love to Wendy and Jay for giving us this spectacular day. We haven’t seen each other in about 10 years – and it was as if time stood still. We immediately picked up where we left off. Wendy has not changed a drop – and our conversations were such fun. We never got the chance to meet Jay before, and he was just great. Can you imagine – 4 teachers out on a lake – “kvetching” for hours? We haven’t done that since we visited Dana and Luis in Cherry Hill! There ought to be a “Married Teachers Club” – we could have so much fun in July and August!! The other ten months of the year, we would just vent and drink. I’m going to work on that!
Anyway, back to the blog. Yesterday’s trivia answer: There IS NO SALES tax in New Hampshire. Today’s trivia question is: To obtain a New Hampshire boat license, do you need a written test, an “in the water” test, or both? Jay and Wendy – you are disqualified from answering!
Off to a new adventure in a new state tomorrow.
Marla and Rich

“…It’s like thunder, lightening, the way you love me is frightening, you better knock…on wood…”

The weather up and down the east coast tonight is…stormy. Thunder and lightening…and today’s song is just for the weather outside our door. Luckily, we are inside. And safe. And enjoying INTERNET SERVICE ON OUR COUCH!!! Amii Steward sang “Knock on Wood”. Please, Google the song and watch it on You Tube. It is VERY seventies!

We left the White Mountains this morning. Just before we pulled out of the park, I ran up to the “hotspot” to post last night’s blog. It is so much easier to have the service in your RV. Then, at about 11 a.m., we were off. At the end of today’s post, please find some pics from yesterday up on Mt. Washington.

We drove down a beautiful highway (Rt. 93) for the majority of the drive. The plush green trees make such a gorgeous backdrop on the roads, and the mountains in the distance seem to go on forever. Other than a stop for gas, we made it to Brookline, NH by 3:45.

We are at the “Field and Stream RV Park”. Doesn’t it sound like plaid shirts and hip waders would great us at the gate? Can’t you just see everyone walking down to fish in a hot, smelly lake? Well, it is NOTHING like that! The sites are paved, with few trees around. In fact, we only have one or two little trees outside our door. There is a giant lake – but we can’t see it from where we are. We will go for a walk to see the sights tomorrow. I really like this place.

We pulled in and started to set up. RV sites are either “pull-through” or “back in”. This is a back in sight – meaning that Rich has to back in, pull back out, do it again, pull back out, curse, yell – and then get it right. It happens every time. I don’t even have to speak anymore. As we were hooking up, 3 unexpected problems arose. First, we saw an infestation of ants around the picnic table that they provided. I went running for the Ajax – the trick we learned last year! Second, the cable wire was too LONG. Rich went to get the wire clippers. Third, and most profound of all, the hose needed to connect water to the RV – a VERY important part of camping! – was leaking. It wasn’t a slow, quiet drip. It was a SPURTING, SQUIRTING, constant water-in-your-face leak. Or, in Rich’s case, it was a water-in-your-shoe leak. After conferring with the leak expert (that’s me!), we determined that the hose “was broken”. And we were off…..to Wal-Mart! I told you – there’s always a super Wal-Mart! This one was double the size of many others. A mere $54.00 later, and we had everything we needed. (In case you are wondering, the hose did NOT cost that much – it was only $10.00. But, ask Rich, I can ALWAYS find more than one thing to buy when we go there! And Rich is no slouch either – he bought a “Deluxe Bean Bag Toss”. I just can’t stop laughing at that. You NEVER know when you’re gonna need a bean bag toss! And now WE have a deluxe set!!) We drove back, hooked up the new hose – and water was flowing – no leak at all.

We ate dinner and sat outside, each of us in heaven on the internet on our own laptops. We heard “noise” in the sky. I saw birds overhead. No problem. Birds. Nice. But Rich saw something else – a 4 letter word that had me inside in a flash. B-A-T-S. I can’t say that I saw them – but then again, I didn’t stick around for a picture.

That was about 3 hours ago, and I am STILL on the computer. Rich was done before the bats. At this park we have 77 television channels – instead of the THREE we had last night. There are many more choices here. Rich found some adventure movie to enjoy. There is a cool breeze blowing, the rain and thunder seems to have stopped, and the bats are, I guess, outside. All is good.

We have been trying to make arrangements to pick Mikaela up from her camp on Sunday. I must say, unfortunately, that the camp is being very difficult. I found one kind person – Bonnie – who seems to understand that ya can’t just “drop” your RV “some place”. However, other than the lovely Bonnie, understanding and communication is…not high on their list of priorities this week. That is enough venting for tonight.

Tomorrow we have super plans in the works – and that is all I will say. I am soooo excited! Visiting friends and family in all parts of this country has been such a highlight of our traveling experience. And tomorrow is all about that!

Now, to the trivia answer. Wendy got it right – and Jordan said he knew it too – the highest recorded wind speed was 231 mph in 1934 on Mt. Washington. I love that you all are reading! Rich has tonight’s trivia: On our way into New Hampshire we stopped at a local ice cream store. This was still in Maine. There was a very nice gentleman there – I think he was the owner – who struck up a conversation with us. He told me a very sad tale of woe about how terrible the taxes were in the New England region and how he could barely make a living. So, along that theme, today’s trivia question is: “What is the sales tax rate in New Hampshire?” Answer to come tomorrow. And remember, don’t look it up. We only want to hear from those of you who have a previous knowledge of this subject. Hey – those are Rich’s rules! He gets tough when he gives a test! See ya tomorrow.

Marla and Rich

Made it, Ma!

wayyy up at the top

awesome Mt. Washington view

“…Climb Every Mountain….”

Rich gets the credit for today’s blog title, with a song that comes from “The Sound of Music”. It is particularly fitting. At one point today, when looking out at the scenery before me, I flashed back to the opening of that movie. Come on, you must remember. Julie Andrews, as Sister Maria, was singing about the hills being alive with the “Sound of Music”. The only difference is that Julie was in the Alps, and we were in New Hampshire.

We loaded up the car with sweatshirts, and headed off to Mt. Washington. It was only about a 15 minute drive, and the scenery was just as beautiful as yesterday. At the base of the mountain, we received a CD, a bumper sticker, a certificate of completion, and specific driving directions. Mt. Washington is 6,288 feet high. It has been climbed by horse-drawn carriage, car, van, bike, train, roller skates, and feet. In order to drive, the car must be kept in low gear, and not exceed 20 mph. There are MANY warnings about frequent stops, especially on the descent, to “cool your brakes”. More on that part later. We read the instructions, popped in the CD, and began the drive. I WISH I could tell you that the scenery was gorgeous, but the “Auto Road” has no guard rails, and the edge is…THE EDGE. I spent the entire drive up huddled towards the gear shift in the middle of the front seat. I THINK it was beautiful. Rich did say “Oh my G-d” once or twice…or more. We made it to the summit in about 15 minutes.

The summit was…COLD! Today’s temperature was 52 degrees – considered warm for the summit, but not for the Zirins. It was mostly cloudy, with the sun trying to peak through. Of course, we were ABOVE the clouds, so it didn’t much matter! The views are awesome. The summit is quite large. In my mind, I pictured a “point” at the top. But I was wrong – again. The summit has 3 gift shops – of course, a museum, a cafeteria/snack bar, an observatory, a replica of the first “hotel/hostel”, and a weather station. There are many, many places to take incredible photographs, but the cloud cover today was rather thick. Rich managed to get a few scenic shots. The museum and the hostel were most interesting. It seems that there was quite a community of tourists that would vacation at the summit every summer. The history and pictures were so interesting. It was very enjoyable.

Along with those of us that drove to the top, there were others who arrived in different fashion. There is a Cog Railway that climbs to the top. To us, it was even scarier-looking than the Auto Road (and more expensive). And then there were the hikers. Those brave, strong, fit, stupid individuals who decided to hike up the many trails to the summit. They arrived breathless, sweating, panting, carrying backpacks and water and their hiking poles and, in many cases, their barking dogs. Who really thinks a dog wants to climb a mountain??? No wonder they were barking! They looked very proud and satisfied with their achievement. I smiled at them, and thought to myself, “Better you than me, honey”. Rich knew better than to even THINK about the idea.

After 2 hours, we decided to drive back down. It was very interesting, but it was seriously windy and chilly. Well, driving down was an experience. Once again, they warn you to stay in low gear, and not to exceed 20 mph. In addition, on the descent, you must remember not to ride your brakes, but rather to pump them, and to stop as needed to cool them down. They forgot to mention that the car picks up speed from the first turn, and the drive down is quite scary as well. We had to stop 4 times to “cool” – because, when you can SMELL your own brakes, it’s just not good. I found the easiest way down, for me, was with my eyes closed. I was much calmer that way. It’s a good thing that Rich didn’t take the same approach! We finally got to the bottom, and all was fine. I was completely exhausted, and done for the day. We headed back to camp, to just relax. Rich sort of wished that he had brought his golf clubs, because today would have been a perfect time for him to go do his thing, while I did my thing. His being golf, mine being – for today, at least – unconsciousness.

Rich started a raging campfire, and we spent the rest of the evening just relaxing. We visited the “internet hot spot” again, to get my daily WWW fix. Later, back at the RV, we started to pack up things. Tomorrow we move on to our next New Hampshire destination. Only 5 more days until there is a Mikaela sighting; life as we know it will never be the same.

Our friend Wendy scored perfectly on yesterday’s trivia. Hewn means “roughly shaped or cut” – often referring to stone or wood. In our case, it referred to the “rock hewn steps” at the Glen Ellis Falls. Crampons are metal spikes that can be attached to shoes for better traction in muddy or icy conditions. When we walked into the Visitors’ Center at Pinkham Notch, a sign that greeted us said, “No Crampons on the Porch”. And that is our vocabulary lesson for yesterday. Today’s trivia is in the field of science. Without “Googling” the answer, what is the highest wind speed ever recorded? It was recorded at Mt. Washington in the 1930’s. Here’s a hint: it is between 150 mph and 300 mph.

We are tired, and about to turn in. It is comfortable sleeping here, with a nice cool breeze coming in the windows. Rich and I have decided that our favorite campgrounds are those that aren’t COMPLETELY covered with trees, but just have them around the perimeter. The trees bring LOTS of bugs and “wildlife” – and that’s just not our preference. We enjoy campgrounds that are more open and spacious; with grass or pavement and trees just on the periphery. That’s another question to add to our interview process when booking campgrounds. “Do you have full hook-ups (water, electric, and sewer), cable, wi-fi, and discounts for camping clubs – and are you tree covered or open?” I NEVER knew it would get so complicated! I guess that’s how you get what you want. Catch you tomorrow from Southern New Hampshire.

Marla and Rich

“…Tell me, how am I supposed to breathe with no air,can’t live, can’t breathe with no air…there’s no air, no air…”

Today’s song, made famous by Jordan Sparks, is dedicated to my lungs. The entire time we were hiking today – that’s about 3 hours – they had ABSOLUTELY “no air”. Let me explain.

As we awoke today, we found that the weather was…let’s say, not great. So, we headed off in the car, to explore. We went to our favorite destination – come on, you know it – Super Wal-Mart! No matter where we are, it seems that within a 15 minute drive, there’s a Wal-Mart. We grabbed some lunch, looked up at the impending doom that was obvious in the dark grey cloudy skies – and decided to find some hiking trails. Hiking? I suggested the movies, but the closest theatre on our GPS was 55 minutes away. It wasn’t really worth it. So off we went.

In this area of the White Mountain National Forest, there are many, many hiking trails, of all difficulty levels and lengths. The goal of many of the hikes is to discover the magnificent waterfall at the end of the trail. We took a drive to get acquainted with the area. The rain came and went, and so began our adventure.

Rich rationalized that since it had rained today, the falls would be even more powerful and impressive. That WAS true. The part that he didn’t realize – or didn’t say – was that the trails would be muddier, messier, and much more slippery. Foolishly, I didn’t pick up on this error soon enough!

What Marla doesn’t realize is that I knew exactly what I was excluding from my rationalization. I learned one thing very well last summer – Marla and climbing don’t necessarily go together. So, by neglecting to include that there might be some slippery slopes to scale, I was guaranteeing that we would actually hike. Sneaky? I’d prefer to call it strategically vague!

The first trail we hit was called “Glen Ellis Falls”. It was only .3 miles long (each way), and led us to the magnificent Glen Ellis waterfall. It was basically easy, just slippery. The walkway was made of stone and “stairs constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930’s”. They held up pretty well for something made in the ‘30’s! Heck, my PARENTS were made in the ‘30’s – and yes, Mom and Dad, since you are reading this, you have held up pretty well, too! Now back to the walk. We got to the falls, took some awesome pictures, met some really nice tourists, and turned around. EVERYBODY we passed said hello to us. Rich wondered how long it takes to learn to be nice and trust others. I mean, how long do you have to be removed from the tri state area before you can just accept that people say hello to other people – strangers – just to be nice?! It is a strange, yet warm feeling. I also need to mention not just the nice people, but the very dumb people. I am referring to men, women and children who did this walk (or hike) in flip flops or sandals with heals. Stupid! It was uneven, rocky, slippery, and muddy – the right footwear is a must for survival! And a special shout out to my friend Rina N. – “Girlfriend – you must NEVER even consider coming here – your footwear is probably illegal!” Now, let’s head into part 2.

We decided that since our first trail was successful, and the sun started to appear, we should take another hike. This hike led to the “Crystal Cascade” waterfall. The brochure said “Easy 0.4 miles”. LIARS!!! It probably WAS .4 miles – but if by easy, they mean uphill, slippery, challenging, and rocky – then, they got the right adjective. The incline was the hardest part for me. For the past 15 years or so, I have had difficulty climbing UP – up steps, up rocks, up sides of mountains. It has nothing to do with fear (well, maybe a little when on a mountain), but rather the ability to breathe. Or, perhaps it is rather the inability to breathe. I simply cannot catch my breath on a trip UP. We had to stop several times for me to hyperventilate. That made it all the more special. The waterfall was beautiful – but “easy” was definitely the wrong adjective. I would use – “vertical”!

What Marla should have told you is that this was a relatively easy .38 mile hike, followed by a very rocky and steep climb to the prize. If you didn’t bare down and make that short, but difficult climb, you missed out on the beauty of a magnificent fall. It was well worth the climb – at least to my legs it was worth it. Marla might tell you different.

It was about 3:30 by now, and Rich and I decided on one more hike. Rich could have gone until dark – but that would not have been a good plan for me – or our relationship. The third and last hike was called “Thompson Falls”. This was advertised as being “easy, 0.8 miles, 30 minutes.” Yeah – easy for Indiana Jones! Easy for Crocodile Dundee! Easy for Marlin Perkins! (Real old reference, that one was!) We started out on a flat, muddy, slippery trail. I will first list the positives. The trail was peaceful, completely shaded, isolated, flat the first third of the way, and marked. However, the farther we hiked the more rocky and difficult and steep the hike became. I was slipping in mud, slipping on rocks, tripping on tree roots – it just wasn’t a pretty sight. Finally, we heard the sound of the falls. That is always a very good sign. Unfortunately, they sounded as if they were ABOVE us. Then, a clearing, and a view of the water – and the realization that they WERE above us! The trail went completely vertical, winding over boulders, around trees, over roots, and in muddy, slippery conditions. Holy hell!

As I was choking back tears, Rich offered to “go first”. Of course, he found no problem getting to the clearing. He even ventured out on the rocks, in the midst of the rushing water, to “take pictures”. Bull – it was to get his “macho” on!! I slowly made my way up to a safe, nearby boulder – AND STAYED THERE. As Rich traveled farther and farther into the water, I kept repeating one comforting and supportive phrase. I believe it went, “If you fall in, and can’t get out, there will not be anyone to drive the trailer back to New Jersey!” I think that really made him feel loved.

Call it what you want , Marla, but I truly loved climbing out on the rocks at each of the falls that we saw. Yes, it was a bit difficult and maybe a bit dangerous, but it was so worth it. I have never had these experiences before and I wasn’t going to let a little bit of fear and a lot of “LOVING” Jewish wife stop me from living out a dream. Hopefully, the pictures will come out as good as the experience felt.

After many pictures were taken, we (I) decided it was time to get back. Now remember, we were…UP. That means, obviously, that we had to get DOWN. This brought back the nightmare of the mountains in South Dakota, but this time, instead of falling gravel, there were slippery rocks and moving mud. I must say – I kept my chin up, kept my nerves in tact, and I made it. I was exhausted to the point of collapse. I was shaking from the fright. I was hyperventilating as well. The sight of my Jeep Liberty never looked so sweet. But, I MADE IT. Rich drove back to our campsite, and I enjoyed the views of the mountains – from a sitting position.

She isn’t exaggerating here! It was very high, very slippery, and very difficult to find good footing. Almost immediately I started to have flashbacks of the Badlands hiking disaster! But, I quickly realized that there was no way that Marla was going down this trail on her bottom – it was wet and muddy after all! So, I decided that I would try and have her use my body for leverage. Plus, that way if she fell, I would break her fall and then only I would fall down the mountain!!! Seriously, I am very proud of my beautiful wife. She doesn’t give herself enough credit. She took each of these hikes on without reservation and didn’t show any signs of panic or regret. It wasn’t until the last ½ of the final hike that she began to get fatigued. I think that it was a combination of difficult climbs, not trusting her own physical abilities, and her slight fear of plummeting down an embankment to her untimely demise!!! Of course, no one fell (well, I almost fell while climbing rocks in the middle of the waterfall, but whose counting) and we made it back to the car without incident. So, thank you to my wife for coming on this adventure with me. Next hiking trip can be mall hiking – OK dear?

This evening, we spent time trying to read our email at the “hotspot” at camp. Even with a full and excellent internet connection, reading email was so frustratingly slow. Before we knew it, the lounge was closing for the night. And so, once again, I am writing this in a word document, and will post it to the internet tomorrow morning. I feel that we made the most of this rainy, overcast day. We had lots of togetherness, lots of feeling at one with nature – and lots of completely terrifying moments. It sounds just about right.

The answer to our trivia question – a “summer road” is one that is accessible only in the summer. That is, the road is rather remote, and when snow covered in the winter, it is never plowed. Route 13, in western Maine, is apparently a “summer road”. We didn’t take it – we will just take the gentleman’s word for it. Today’s trivia: Okay, WITHOUT using Google OR a dictionary, tell me the meaning of the following two new words that I learned today: “hewn”, and “crampon”. And yes, I spelled that second word correctly! Remember, no help from books or the web. Answer tomorrow.

Monday night at sundown was the start of the Jewish observance of Tisha B’Av. This is a day of reflection, prayer and fasting. To those who are observing, we wish you a meaningful fast. To those who are not…have a very nice Tuesday!

From the outskirts of the White Mountain National Forest, MWAH! (that’s the sound of a kiss being thrown!),

Marla and Rich

Glen Ellis Falls

Thompson Falls

“I know you like to get away, go away, far away, to a place where there’s just us two…Got a busy day, everyday, but not today…”

Greetings from New Hampshire! We again don’t have internet access at our site, so I am posting in the morning. Today’s song is by Lionel Richie, entitled “Just Go”. It’s just the way I feel. We should…just go.

We left Bar Harbor at 11 am Sunday, and it was about a 4 hour drive to Gorham, NH. The Obamas left way earlier – and they didn’t even call to say goodbye! We decided to travel down Route 2, instead of taking I95 and a faster route. It was exactly as I had hoped. Rt. 2 has a speed limit in most places of 55mph – so it moves – but it also slows down to 25mph when it winds through small, local towns. This is the only way to get a glimpse of actual, local life in the U.S. We saw such small, little towns – with a town center, a local grocery, small churches, little side of the road yard sales, and many farms along the way. The skies were bright blue, with puffy, huge white clouds, the sun was hot, and the scenery was the deepest shades of green. We rode the entire way without the air conditioning, with a delicious breeze keeping us comfortable. It was a terrific ride.

Along the way, we stopped for ice cream. That seems to be my one caloric treat when I travel, as I NEVER eat real ice cream. I don’t! I eat frozen yogurt (usually fat free), or fat free ice cream, but I never indulge in real ice cream. The milk in real ice cream, and my stomach are not usually on speaking terms, if ya know what I mean. Except, that is, when we are on vacation. So we stopped at a place by the name of “Annabelle’s”. We didn’t know it, but we were apparently at the BEST ice cream stop in America – if you listen to all the other customers and the owner!! As soon as we walked up, and we were perceived as being out-of- towners (I guess the small trailer in the parking lot must have given us away!), we started getting recommendations. And they didn’t just stop at “Get the Rocky Road” – they went into explicit detail on their favorites, the delicious tastes involved, the intricate blending of flavors – it was hard to keep a straight face! Rich decided on a peanut butter/peanut sauce/hot fudge/ vanilla ice cream combination. Sorry to say, I can’t remember the exact name of that concoction – those locals would be very disappointed. I had a simple sundae of real maple walnut ice cream and hot fudge – and I mean HOT fudge. It was fantastic. We sat down to eat there, giving Rich a driving break, and the owner made his way to us. He described to us how we are in the “homeland” of Gifford’s ice cream – world famous, supposedly – and this ice cream is better. He gave us the history of Annabelle’s (developed by a retired, Jewish optometrist, I think), the history of his buying the ice cream stop, his financial success, his family background – and if Rich hadn’t gotten up to go when he did, we might still be sitting there, listening! The man WAS very nice. And the ice cream was excellent!

We arrived at the Timberland Camping Area by about 3:45. It is a nice, a typical, tree covered campground – we have stayed in many like this one. It wasn’t as pretty or located as spectacularly as the one outside of Acadia. But it also was $24 LESS per night! When we camp, the average price per night is about $35.00. Here, we are paying $28 and change. This campground is directly on Route 2, and seems to be fine. When I made the reservation, the owner answered the phone. He was so personable – and told me he and his wife only bought the place 3 weeks ago! When I asked why he bought an RV park, his answer was great – “Because we got tired of workin’ for the man!” I love that!

We settled in, did laundry (can you believe it – I under-packed! The queen of the extra clothes!), Rich took a swim, and we ate dinner. The cable connection gets THREE channels only – CBS, NBC, and ABC. It is just like the old days!!! What would Mikaela say? Having only THREE channels to choose from make us…what DOES it make us? , Are we “down-trodden”, or are we lucky? Will it force us to enjoy other forms of entertainment – or will it depress us? Will it make our “camping” experience more authentic? Yes, it will. I have been depending on the cable connection mostly for news and weather on this trip. Listening to local news is just as entertaining as a sitcom! The local sports report in New Hampshire centered around the results of a low scale NASCAR race, with the top prize being $30,000. They also showed video and had interviews from the annual “Crawling Baby Contest”. Riveting!! Last summer, we really needed television for Mikaela. She sometimes needed to just zone out to the Disney channel. And I understand that. Without her along for the ride, sometimes the silence is so relaxing, that I don’t want the lack of sound disturbed by cable. I do have to say, that the only real drawback here, for me, is that there is no internet access at our site. We knew that when we booked the place – price and location sometimes win over convenience. That is why I am posting so late this morning. The hot spot is, once again, up by the office, which closes at 10 pm. I guess I am more dependent upon my electronic “fix” than anyone else in this family. Well, I never smoked, drank, or did drugs. “Facebook” is my drug of choice!

We sat quietly reading before we went to bed. Our “neighbors” campsite is directly out our back window. I wasn’t paying attention, but Rich heard their whole conversation. He started laughing – they were deep in discussion about their trips to Camping World, to Walmart, and their current problem with their RV “awning”. Real deep. If Rich rolled his eyes just one more time, they would have fallen off his face! I found it very funny! We finally fell asleep, and woke up wayyy later than I wanted. It is raining here this morning, so we are currently staying put.

The last trivia answer, about Rhinebeck, NY being in the news, centers around the fact that Chelsea Clinton’s wedding will take place there, on July 31st. Today’s trivia is from that gentleman at Annabelle’s. He told us we should take a detour from Route 2, and drive up “Summer Road” 13, to see really beautiful, local scenery. What is a “Summer Road”? Answer will be…whenever I get the next connection!

Plans for today are sketchy, especially because of the rain. Other than being wet, the weather is pretty bearable. They consider this a heat wave, but, we Jersey natives know a REAL heat wave when we see one! This is just what we call “summer”!

Hope to catch you tomorrow.

Marla and Rich

…”And I love to live so pleasantly, live this life of luxury, lazing on a sunny afternoon.”

The lyrics above, from the song “Lazy Afternoon” by the Kinks, describes today perfectly. It was what every person dreams about….RELAXATION!
Let me just backtrack. For those of you new to our blog, we don’t write on Friday night or Saturday. It’s our Sabbath, our day of rest. Saturday night, however, finds us catching up on two days worth of material.

Friday morning began more slowly than usual; we wanted to do SOMETHING, but we weren’t sure just what. We again Skyped with daughter Rebekah and grandson Amitai – as he has been looking for his Grandma and his Pop Pop in the computer for hours! Thank you, Skype inventors! Now, we had to really decide what to do. So, instead of heading towards Acadia, we headed towards the town of Ellsworth, in the opposite direction. As Rich drove, we noticed lots of people sitting along side the roadway, with signs and cameras. Of course! The President was coming to Acadia, and HAD to travel this main road to get from the airport to Bar Harbor. Rich quickly found a restaurant with parking spaces, and found a ringside seat. The manager would only allow paying customers to park there, so Rich forced himself to find SOMETHING at this typical, local eatery. I had a diet coke! There were many paying customers, coming and going. Two official looking gentlemen, getting in their car to leave, heard the conversations of those waiting and wondering. The men told us that the Obamas would be landing at 12:20. He said it with an air of confidence. We said thank you – we only had to wait about half an hour more. It turns out…one of those men was the GOVERNOR of Maine!!!! He was on his way to the airport, to meet the President’s plane. Unbelievable!

We stood alongside the highway, with many other people. It was hugely a Pro-Obama crowd where we were. There was even a woman, standing and holding a small photograph, and flashing it to every passing car. The restaurant manager asked her about the picture, because she was showing it to all the cars, and almost jumping up and down. Turns out it was a 4″ x 6″ picture of Obama – too small to even see from the road – and she was jumping up and down because she LOVES him!!! So…she was going to show him a PICTURE of …HIMSELF. There had to be a whole lot of thinking behind that idea. There were only 2 anti-Obama critics in the crowd near us – and they were pretty quiet. In fact, all the establishments that lined the road (Route 3) had signs of welcome and thank yous for the First Family. It was a nice show of support.

The airport was almost directly across the street, so the view was perfect. Before long, we saw a plane land. OBAMAS! Those with binoculars saw 2 children, 2 adults and a dog get off the plane. So who else could it be? The state police kept pushing us back from the white line along the road – first 6 feet, then 10 feet, then 20 feet. Whatever. There was such commotion and excitement and buzzing….and then, ANOTHER plane landed! This one said “United States of America”! Is there a DECOY FIRST FAMILY???!!! Was the first plane for the first family, minus the President? Your guess is as good as mine. It was harder to see the people coming off the second plane, which leads me to believe that this plane carried the President. We then witnessed a motorcade speeding by. It was exciting, I have to admit. Everyone started clapping and shouting and waving as they passed. I would like to say I saw them with my own eyes – but there were so many cars and they sped by so fast – that I didn’t see anyone….until we came home and watched the video Rich took. I tried to attach it at the end – but I am not having any luck. Will try to post it on Facebook, separately. Slow it down near the 25 second mark, and you look for yourself. President Obama was wearing a white shirt that day. I think we got him!

This was just another example of never knowing what you are going to find along the way, as you travel. You should have plans, yes, but you should also allow for impulsive moments. You never know what you might discover! We did finally go into town, and headed to the L.L.Bean outlet. Bought nothing – no bargains at all. Our next stop was at the local food chain, “Shaw’s”. We found some things we needed and went back to our RV park. Frankly, I was exhausted from the past two days in the park, and I have been fighting a pinched sciatic nerve on my left side for about 2 weeks. Rich had the best idea yet…what would a vacation be without a massage? Yeah…I know it’s not indigenous to MAINE, but what the heck. We ended the day at the “Tree of Life” day spa in Bar Harbor, with glorious massages. We had no traffic problems either, even though the Obamas were staying right in town. Relaxed, renewed, revitalized – and revving up for spending a quiet and peaceful Shabbat – Sabbath — ALONE. Heaven.

We got back to camp, cooked some food, and ate, read, and went to sleep. Today’s activities consisted of eating, reading, snoozing, eating, reading, snoozing, eating….you get the picture. It truly was a day of rest. We sat outside from morning till evening, enjoying shade from the bright sun under our awning, and an amazing breeze off the waters’ edge, at our campsite. Our RV park sits on the shore of an inlet, and that provides fantastic views as well as ocean breezes. Everyone is friendly and stops to say hello as they walk on by. Life, as the song title of today’s entry says, is good.

I finished the book I was reading, and it was as fantastic as everyone said. It’s called “The Help”. Just read it – a fantastic, can’t put it down summer read. Rich is reading “The Bourne Sanction”. He likes the intriguing storyline and constant plot twists. It felt amazing to sit in a chair and read, without any disturbances. Ahh, the simple things in life.

This evening, we are just relaxing inside. We decided not to go anywhere, but to just take it easy. We are ending a most fantastic and relaxing day with a non eventful, relaxing Saturday night. This is the longest amount of time that we have ever stayed at the same campground. Last year, we were always headed onto the NEXT destination, in order to get all of our itinerary covered. And, although that was a dream come true, there is something to be said for just staying put in a pretty place. It is safe to say, the “Mt. Desert Narrows Bar Harbor Camping Resort” is a pretty, clean, convenient, and friendly place. We have thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

The answer to our last trivia question was correctly identified by our friend Phil, who is a regular reader, AND the person who showed me the blogging ropes in the first place! He identified John D. Rockefeller as the force behind the roadways in Acadia. Good job, Phil. Today’s trivia question: We will be pulling into a camp in Rhinebeck, NY next Friday. WHY is Rhinebeck in the news this month? Answer tomorrow.

Time for bed – I am tired from reading and eating and sleeping all day! Seriously, we are onto our next destination tomorrow. Thank you all so much for keeping up with the blog, and for all the kind and witty comments. Keep reading!

Marla and Rich

“…So I could own my Downeaster Alexa, and I go where the ocean is deep, there are giants out there in the canyons, and a good captain can’t fall asleep…”

Bar Harbor

Waterfalls

Cadillac Mountain

Bass Harbor Light Head

High Tide

Seal Harbor

“Downeaster Alexa” is the name of today’s song, made famous by the great Billy Joel. We spent the day in the company of G-d’s great miracles, the land and the sea. Today’s song had to have a nautical theme. Rich shared with me that the “Downeaster Alexa” is a lobster ship. Billy Joel owns such a ship, named “Alexa”, after his daughter. It was built on the hull of a Maine lobster boat. Thank you, Rich – and Wikipedia.

Okay folks, there’s a disclaimer I need to post. Just reading today’s blog may result in feelings of exhaustion! But for those of you who remember the Badlands climbing fiasco of ’09, BOY, are you going to be proud of me!!

Today was “Interactive Acadia Day” for the Zirins. The weather was perfect – and I mean perfect. The skies were bright blue, the sun was shining, and the breeze and shade in the Park made it such good outdoor weather. We dressed for “action” – hiking sneakers, thick socks, shorts for moving – you get the picture. Having spent yesterday checking out the sites, we had some idea as to where we wanted to explore further.

We started out on “Seal Harbor”. The beach was small, the water was crystal clear, the rocks were so majestic and colorful. We were admiring a garden on the way to the sand – and the home owner invited us INTO the garden for a closer look! Who are these nice people??? We made our way down to the beach, and took our shoes off to walk in the water. There were both waves breaking lightly on the shore, AND mountain run off water rushing down the beach. The water was Frrrreezing! We could barely keep our feet in it as we walked! But, I have to admit, it felt so good. The shoreline was filled with enormous, jagged rocks. They weren’t insanely high, but getting anywhere on them was a challenge. And this was My FIRST challenge of the day. Rich wanted to rock climb. AND I DID IT! It wasn’t easy, it certainly wasn’t pretty – but I got from point A to point B without even 1 kvetch. Good exercise – especially for the calves, the thighs, and the brain – as I had to anticipate where my next footing would go. Yeah me! And Rich was very happy, as well.

We decided to explore Seal Harbor next. It seemed exclusive and private, and quite pretty. From there, we made a quick decision to travel a bit, and go to the opposite end of the park, and a place called Bass Harbor. There are numerous harbors that make up Acadia; some are heavily visited and are on the “Park Loop”, and some are not. Bass Harbor is markedly south of the main part of Acadia Park. The day was ours to spend, and we went.

Last year, we often found ourselves heading one place, when something fabulous just popped up in front of us. On the way to Bass Harbor, we made a pit stop at Echo Lake Beach. It was far more beautiful and popular than we ever expected. We stayed longer than intended (it was just supposed to be a bathroom break!), and picnicked there for lunch. We don’t often go to “lake beaches”. I know they exist, even in New Jersey, but we just don’t frequent them. Echo Lake Beach was, again, clean, beautiful, filled with people, guarded by a life guard, and offered both sun and shade. It was such a relaxing and surprising break in our day. (And I didn’t have to climb rocks this time – instead, I SAT on one!)

Shortly after lunch, we arrived at Bass Harbor. Our actual destination was the Bass Harbor Head Light – a lighthouse on the southern most tip of the Harbor. I love lighthouses – they are mysterious, historic, and powerful to me. We could get right next to this one and touch it. Bass Harbor Head Light is not particularly large, but it is down a winding path, and its path does lead to huge rocks that line the shore below. Here was rock climbing adventure number 2. We ended up sitting on these gigantic, stone structures, watching the waves as they broke on the boulders below us. Breathtaking!!! I cannot compare the experience to anything – except the last time we went to Maine. We saw the Nubble Lighthouse that time, and sat on the rocks nearby as the ocean waves broke just below us. Today, there was fog out in the distance, and we could see it rolling in slowly. Yet, the sun was still high, the skies blue as could be, and the sea breeze was awesome.

We slowly made our way back to the main sights of Acadia, stopping to take interesting pictures along the way. Beautiful harbors full of sailboats, yachts, kayaks and canoes lined the shore, one more impressive than the next. The word for today was definitely “nautical”! We stopped once again at “Thunder Hole” – this time, at high tide. No real big difference, I am afraid to report, but I CAN report: rock climbing adventure number 3! This time, Rich wanted to get as close to the ocean without going over (kind of like “The Price is Right”, but less expensive and more dangerous). The only reason today was easier than last year was that the rocks, for the most part, DIDN’T MOVE. I did really well again! It was almost enjoyable!

To conclude this day of “movement and exploration”, we took a mile walk from the rocks at Thunder Hole back to Sand Beach. All I wanted to do, at that point, was walk in the cold surf and apologize to my feet! We got to do just that. And the water was, once again, frigid. I don’t have any idea how all those people were able to swim. But they were in the water, and having a blast. We got a chance to climb some rocks, but both of us were pretty exhausted, and we sat more than we climbed. We finished the day by walking the mile or so back to our car, and, exhausted, headed back to our campsite.
However, I did need a reward for the day’s events, and so, we stopped at “Udderly Delicious” – for ice cream! Yum!

As I sit here now, and reflect on the day, I am very proud of myself. I climbed rocks in 3 or 4 different locations, and had little trouble. The 6 or so Advil might have helped a bit, as did the promise of ice cream at the end of the day! But here is the kicker. The cost for all that sightseeing, all those beaches and rocky coastlines, all that outdoor amazement was…..zero! Nothing! We spent $8.00 on ice cream, and that was it for the day! Again, much of Acadia can be seen without paying. I don’t know if this is what they intended, but it is the truth. PLEASE, all those who are reading and live on the East Coast of the United States of America, take the following pledge: Please promise yourselves that you will TRY to visit Acadia National Park sometime in the near future. It is the FIRST National Park on the East Coast. It deserves to be visited! It is exquisite! It is vast and interesting and clean and majestic. And, it will have you respecting and basking in the wonder of nature.

Yesterday’s trivia question was about the location of the highest roller coaster in the world. The answer: New Jersey! Yup it’s located at Great Adventure, in Jackson. It’s known as “Kingda Ka”. When you go there…tell me how it was. I don’t EVER do roller coasters.

Today’s trivia question is: What 20th century philanthropist is/was responsible for building the first road system through Acadia National Park?

We are currently sitting in our favorite spot – in front of the fire, in front of our RV, with laptops on our laps. (That was an awesome name for this computer!!) We ate a delicious grilled dinner, as usual. Rich took veggie burgers, seasoned them, and stuffed them into a gigantic Portobello mushroom cap. YUM! There was a fresh salad and fresh corn to round out the menu, and, since we ate ice cream BEFORE dinner, we are done. I had to change into sweats and a jacket, and it is still chilly. A brisk comfortable night, spent sitting and writing after a long, energetic, activity filled day. The 3 pictures at the beginning of today’s blog are from yesterday; the 3 pictures that follow are from today. Sleep will feel so good this evening! I have to get my beauty sleep – Michelle and Barack and the girls arrive tomorrow!

Marla and Rich

“I…. got me a cadillac (cadillac, cadillac) I got me a cadillac car (oo, oo) Got me a cadillac (cadillac, cadillac) Look at me mister I’m a star (oo, oo) …

NEWS FLASH! NEWS FLASH! Guess WHO is coming to Bar Harbor on Friday? THE OBAMAS!!!! I knew Michelle was reading our blog! Last year, when did the Obamas go to the Canyon? Right after THE ZIRINS went to the Canyon! Today we were in Acadia, and ….the OBAMAS are going to Acadia this weekend! I KNEW we were trailblazers!

Today’s song, from the movie soundtrack of “Dreamgirls”, is in honor of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia. It is the highest point of elevation on the entire Atlantic Coast of the U.S. And we climbed it!!! Ummm…by car! But it was awesome. However, I am getting ahead of my story.

Last night, it poured here in “Bahh Hahhhbuhh (that’s how the wealthy pronounce it!). Our trip to Acadia was delayed, as it was still raining at dawn. But, it gave us a chance to Skype with Amitai! He didn’t understand how Grandma and Pop Pop GOT into his computer! But we giggled and giggled during our whole Skype conversation. A fun way to start the day! We also got to Skype with Rich’s sister Talia. She looked great. Slowly it cleared, and we headed to Acadia around noon.

At every other national park, we had to show or buy a park pass at the entrance. We went to the Hull’s Cove Visitor Center at the entrance to the park – and there was no gate, or window – nothing! We walked in and went to a 15 minute video to introduce visitors to the park, and its major sites. I highly recommend watching this park introduction because, besides being informatory, it was beautiful. We got back in our car, and began a 27 mile drive inside the park on the Park Loop Road. Still, there was no entrance.

We first went to a location known as Bubble Pond. It was so peaceful and still. We walked about a mile along the side of the pond (it was a rather LARGE pond). There were many small streams and waterfalls along the rocks bordering the path; the sound of nature was awesome. We explored the area, and took many pretty nature shots. The only oddity was that in the entire pond, we saw one small duck, and one tiny frog. Did the rest of the wildlife go on vacation? The literature on Acadia warns of not disturbing the park’s animals. There were none to disturb!

We left the Pond, we realized that we were going in a direction that would not take us to the things we wanted to see. So, we backtracked, and made our next stop Cadillac Mountain (that’s what I referred to in the title). It is magnificent, with scenic views of the entire area. We were above the clouds. The vista was breathtaking. Cadillac Mountain was named after someone, not after the car!

We drove down the winding road and headed towards Sand Beach — and FINALLY! -THERE WAS AN ENTRANCE GATE! Now understand, we didn’t do anything illegal. They just have the entrance in the MIDDLE of the park! (Those crazy Maine-i-acs!!!)

Here is the tip of the summer! Last July, we purchased an America the Beautiful National Park Pass. It is good for a year, and permits you to enter all National Parks and National Monuments and return for up to 7 days. The Pass costs $80.00. Every park entrance fee was $20.00, and the Monument fees were $10. We visited 7 places last year – and the pass CLEARLY paid for itself. We showed our pass at the Acadia entrance — and it is good until the end of July! 8 Parks for $80 for 2 or more people? BARGAIN!

We proceeded to Sand Beach. It is… a beach. Beautiful waves breaking on a huge rocky coast, and rough surf rolling into the sand. The water was freezing cold, and it was very windy and overcast, but there were lots of crazy tourists swimming. (We think they were Canadians. Those wacky Canadians!!)
Rich and I had no desire to go swimming. We took some pictures, and moved on.

The next tourist spot is called Thunder Hole. It was at this location that several tourists were swept out to sea last year, during hurricane-force surf. The tourists were warned several times to leave the area; apparently, they refused to listen. After seeing the force of the surf in very calm conditions, we can easily believe that strong weather conditions could prove to be life-threatening. Today, however, it was exciting to behold.

We were getting tired, and hungry and achy by this point. Okay, I was all those things. Rich was none of them. Why? Because, Rich is 40, and I am not. But, when I get tired, EVERYONE knows it. Oh, and by the way, I did not complain AT ALL about the climbing today. The ground was solid rock, we did not scale the edges of a mountain, and we were not doomed to immediate death if we tripped. I was good! So, we made our last stop the Jordan Pond House – a historic park attraction and restaurant. There is a tradition every afternoon, that the Jordan Pond House serves “tea and popovers”. It just sounded too good to pass up! And so, we splurged – having popovers and tea (ok, I had cappuccino, and Rich had ICED tea, but you get the idea). The popovers were delicious! The beverages were as well! The atmosphere was historic and very sophisticated. We were livin’ the high life! Those popovers looked just like…my mother’s Kosher for Passover rolls! They were golden brown, steaming hot, and full of air! Rich said they were the best Challah rolls he ever had!!! We ARE classy, aren’t we??!!

After that, we were done. We drove back to our RV park, changed clothes and freshened up, and went out to dinner. Rich had decided that we would splurge on one night out, at a restaurant, sampling the local traditional cuisine. I had a scrumptious salmon dinner. Rich had …….some fish…..he referred to it as a “big bowl of treif”. For translation, see last night’s blog. Of course, Rich ate fish. For our Jewish friends, please remember that it’s the 9 days. For our many non-Jewish friends, this one is waaaay to complicated to explain in writing. See me personally for an explanation.

We found out that our restaurant was in the village of Bar Harbor. It seems that there is a CITY of Bar Harbor, AND a VILLAGE also called Bar Harbor. They are 2 different places. It reminds me of “Larry, Daryl and Daryl” from “Newhart”! They couldn’t come up with another name for the village? Couldn’t they call it “Far Barber”? Or, how about a synonym, such as “Saloon Port”?? I personally love that one! Whatever they call it, Bar Harbor village is a quaint little area a few blocks wide and a few blocks long, that offers every kind of souvenir choice possible. It is similar in feel to Santa Fe, or Ogunquit, or Cape May – but just a tad “snobbier”. And, it was there, on Main Street, that we read and overheard rumblings that the Obamas are headed to town. Streets will be closed off all weekend, detours will be in place outside of and around Acadia. Grand!

Tonight will be an earlier night to bed, because Rich has hiking planned for tomorrow. I am going to go to take my 10 extra strength Advils (!), but first, trivia. Yesterday’s trivia question was answered correctly, first by our friend Sam, and secondly, by our friend Dana. Welcome to the blog, by the way, “guapa”! Guy Fieri visited the Maine Diner (as we did), for his mega hit “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives” which will air August 9th. Don’t miss it! And today’s trivia, having NOTHING to do with Acadia: Where is the highest roller coaster in the world? We heard this on tv this morning, and thought, “If the Today Show could use it, so could we!” The answer will be in tomorrow night’s blog.

Our thoughts are with our friends Sam and Sue tonight.
We will catch up and post our pictures from today and tomorrow when we type again.

Marla and Rich

“…Yeah, we gotta start looking at the hands of the time we’ve been given, if this is all we got and we gotta start thinking – if every second counts on a clock that’s ticking — Gotta live like we’re dying…

The inlet - perfect for children named Amitai

Freshly grown fruits and veggies in back of the Maine Diner!

Ogunquit, 2010

The title of today’s blog is from the Kris Allen mega-hit, “Live Like We’re Dying”. Kris Allen was the 2009 American Idol winner. I really like his music. Rich is maybe not so much in love with his sound. I chose this song today, not only because we heard it AT LEAST 10 times on the radio, but because of the message it sends. The whole idea of camping and visiting new places and seeing the country and LOVING it – and if not now, when?

(So listen, Rich is writing the main part of today’s entry. He did NOT want me to introduce him – but I definitely want HIM to be credited with the material. You’ll see why in a minute. I’ll be back later!)

I know that you all have been waiting patiently for the answer to yesterday’s incredibly edible trivia question, so here we go: Several people offered up excellent answers to the question, including Phil and Melissa, but not the Phil and Melissa that live in the same house. Their answers were similar and both had to do with wrapping the fish in foil and placing it directly on the coals. We also would have accepted using a disposable tin directly on the coals, or a plank. So congratulations to all of you who knew how to cook fish over an open fire without a grill rack. Now I must move on to other things because my vagina is starting to hurt from all this cooking talk!

We are currently sitting in front of another beautiful campfire, but this time in Bar Harbor, Maine. We are 6 miles outside of Acadia National Park. We have been planning on exploring the park since last summer ended and can’t wait until tomorrow when we get back out there with nature. It was a pretty easy drive today – that is, until about 20 miles before we reached our destination. At that point the lovely public works people on the Maine Highway system decided that it would be a good idea to turn the road into a dirt bike track. On and off for SEVEN miles we hit pot holes, bumps, ditches, mud puddles, and almost drove off the side of small cliffs. We were stuck behind some lady who was obviously trying to make sure that she didn’t miss any of the scenery off the side of the road – she was going about 2 miles per hour for most of the 20 miles. So congratulations to Maine! After driving over 11,000 miles on our camping adventures Maine now holds the lead for the worst roads in America!!!

Now onto some other tidbits! Judah called us today to read a letter that we received from Mikaela. It started with some information that we had been expecting to hear. She is having a great time and doesn’t want to come home. Then my entire world came to a crashing halt. Mikaela went on to talk about how excited she was about a Shabbas walk that she was going on with a new friend that she really liked. (Shabbas = Sabbath. No extra charge for the translation.) WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED???? I let my little girl go away to a Jewish camp so that she can get more in touch with religion and now she is going on walks with BOYS??? This horrific information was later confirmed in an email from our Rabbi. Even the Rabbi knows that Mikaela is going on unsupervised walks with a boy. It may even be an OLDER boy! OH MY G-D – IT JUST GOT WORSE!!!

Everyone who knows me realizes that I am a Democrat, but I need some advice from my Republican friends – where do I sign up for the National Rifle Association? Can you believe the hell that I am in now ? Here I am, stranded in the middle of the wilderness, and my little girl is out in the woods with BOYS. Now some of you are surely thinking, “What’s the big deal?” Well, as someone who went to camp and went on “walks” with younger girls, IT IS A VERY BIG DEAL!!! What’s next – George Steinbrenner is going to die? The National League is going to win the All Star Game? Lebron isn’t going to be a Knick? Just how much can one man take?

For Marla’s sake, I am going to have to put on a strong front, but just know that I am crying on the inside….

Before my entire world was rocked by my daughter, we were having a really nice day. We had a great meal for breakfast (more on that in a moment) and then went for a long walk on the beach in Ogunquit. For those of you who are unaware, 2 years ago we came to Ogunquit on vacation. It is a beach community with great antique shops, crafts and friendly people. It was cool in the morning, but by about 10:30 the sun came out and it was gorgeous! The beaches in Maine are far superior to those in New Jersey. I grew up loving the beach in Point Pleasant and this place puts Point and Seaside, Wildwood and LBI to shame. The water is crystal clear. The coastline has lots of turns, so there are many inlets that form around sandbars. When the tide is out, the inlet becomes a series of shallow pools of water, some very large, but not deep and because they are shallow, the water is warm. This is an ideal place for children to play and for families to relax without worrying about rip currents or strong waves. When the tide comes in, the inlet fills and it becomes a haven for fishermen and kayakers. To describe Ogunquit in a word – THERAPEUTIC. I guess that’s why everyone who walks around town has a smile on their face.

Today we went to a famous Maine eatery – THE MAINE DINER. We had been there before and had a great breakfast, so we decided to visit again. This time the food was even better than I remembered. Marla marveled at the amazing blueberry pancakes and I was also impressed. The coffee was hot, the service was with a conversation and a smile, and the smells coming from the kitchen were heavenly. This place is so great it even has a small farm out back where they grow a lot of the produce they use. It is one of the most famous diners in the U.S. In fact, when we posted on Facebook that we were headed there, within seconds, we had people commenting on what we should eat. Sorry Kevin, I didn’t have the lobster omelet.

Marla will be out in a second to post today’s real trivia question, but I have a rhetorical trivia question for all of you: What does Lobster cost a pound in the tri-state area? In Maine it costs less than Kosher chicken breasts!!! $4.50 a pound at one place I saw today. You know, if Rabbi Gamliel, Tarfun, Akiva, or Shmuli Boteach had tried our little red friends before it was made treif (not kosher), all those shell fish would have made the list next to the salmon, pike, herring, and whiting!!! What a shame!

Hi – it’s Marla again. I’m still giggling from what he wrote! Ok, today’s trivia question is: After reading our blog, can you guess what Guy Fieri and the Zirins have in common?
Answer tomorrow. We have to go inside now – it is, and I LOVE saying this – getting chilly! Even at midnight, the fog is rolling in. Gotta go find my feet-y pajamas – it hasn’t been this cold since Gardiner, Montana! A camper’s weather dream! Enjoy life today!

Love,
Marla and Rich
(Here are some pics from yesterday)

Wellls, Maine

“The infamous and scrumptious salmon”