Return to Whiteface Mountain

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Whiteface Mountain Revisited

We returned to Whiteface Mountain 3 times while I was visiting. We are stubborn folk and no mountain was going to defeat us. Especially not one we could drive up. But Whiteface and fate had other plans. With a mountain this big it can make it’s own weather. After our first zero visibility try we returned on another sunny day. As we approached the bottom of the mountain we could see that the summit was hidden by clouds. No point in wasting another $30.00 toll. We headed off to find lunch.

Tail o the Pup

Located in Ray Brook NY, the Tail O the Pup is a BBQ restaurant with lots of outdoor seating. It was chilly when we were there but we wanted to give it a try so we decided being a little cold was acceptable. Note to self- next time toss a jacket in the car. I had a bit of trouble with the name of the restaurant. What do puppies have to do with BBQ? If the name was Tail o the Pig I’d imagine cute little curly pig tails but a Pup? We gave our order. My brother ordered the fried scallops I went with the BBQ ribs. The scallops were the winner. They were so juicy and they were huge! For a BBQ place my ribs were a disappointment. They didn’t come close to being “Fall off the bone”. They had a nice flavor but I’m not a fan of having to fight with my food to eat it. Next time we go there I know what I’m going to order.

Third Time’s the Charm

Or so they say. So we gave Whiteface one more shot. This was an absolutely beautiful day. Sun shining and only fluffy clouds in the sky. No fog banks, no storm clouds. How could we miss? This time is wasn’t the weather that stopped us. No it was fate or New York’s road construction crews. When we got to the entrance to the toll road a line of cars was turning around. A sign said- “Road Closed for Maintenance”. Ok we’re done. Three strikes you’re out! and all those cliches. We’ll save Whiteface for another trip. 

Whiteface Gondola

But all was not lost. As we drove away we spotted the Gondolas running up the side of the mountain. We might not make it to the summit on one but we’ll make it close to the top. So that was how we salvaged the Whiteface adventure. Enjoy the views from 3/4 of the way up. Imagine what you’d see from the top.

Puzzle update

I continue to make slow but steady progress

What I did on My Lake George Summer Vacation

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What I Did on My Lake George Summer Vacation

How many remember those back to school essays- What I did on my summer vacation? Well I figured that was a good title for this post. Covid has slowed vacation travel to a crawl, a drip, a puddle. I’m so lucky I have family in the Adirondacks. But as I mentioned in my last post I met up with my brother and we headed to a campground where our RV was waiting for us. This is a different kind of vacation for me! No luxury time share condo this time. But at least we aren’t in a tent. 

Lake George Escape

I’m not knocking camping in a tent. I’ve done it before and it’s great fun. They even have something called “Glamping” where  the tents are elaborate and rival that of a sheikh but it has been a long time since I went roughing it. I’m happy we have the RV as a middle ground. Our RV is set up at The Lake George Escape Campground. I think it’s Warrensburg, NY but the actual address says Diamond Point. The first order of business was to prepare the Fire Pit for visitors. The second was to take a stroll down to the beach so I could see where the canoeing, kayaking and tubing took place. Just in case I was feeling frisky.

 

Whiteface Mountain

The next morning We decided to take a drive to Whiteface Mountain. Whiteface is located in the town of Wilmington about 13 miles from Lake Placid which is most notably remembered as the venue for the 1980 Olympic hockey game known as the Miracle on Ice. It amazed me that I had never been through Lake Placid considering I grew up in the area. We cruised the town so I could get a look at the Olympic Stadium and the ski jumps from the winter Olympics. I am such a tourist!

But back to Whiteface. We never expected we’d have such a time getting up the mountain. Whiteface is the 5th highest mountain in New York State and part of the High Peaks of the Adirondacks. On a clear day the summit offers 360 degree views of the Adirondacks and even glimpses of  Vermont (and if it’s very clear) Canada.

What I did on My Summer Vacation- Lake George

Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway takes you to within 300 ft of the summit. Be prepared it’s a toll road. The fee was $30.00 when we made the drive. Whiteface Castle dominates the summit. To get to the tip top you can take a .2 mile trail or a 242 ft tunnel that leads to an elevator. But we never got to experience either. At the start of the road a big sign said 0 visibility.  We went up anyway. The elevator was not running and we were in the very heart of the clouds. This was truly Zero Visibility.

Road Trip! Time for a Drive Vacation

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Road Trip!

It’s a summer drive vacation aka road trip.  Covid has put a real damper on travel. I canceled my vacations for this year. I’m waiting for the pandemic scare to subside. I hear plane fares are going to be at an all time low this fall. I also hear that lots of flights may be canceled or consolidated and some airlines may fail. But someone with my wanderlust can only be slowed down so long. So even with arthritic joints and a Covid 15 weight gain, it was time to do something. My choice…ROAD TRIP! God bless my brother. He gave me an excuse to travel. I decided to go visit him in Lake George, New York.

Camping 2020 Style

Road Trip began with a drive to the Northway aka route 87, the north-south highway through eastern New York. I picked it up from the the turnpike (Route 90) in Albany.  All in all it was about a 3.5 hour drive from my house to Exit 23 for Diamond Point/ Warrensburg. Of course I went to exit 24. That was the exit if I wanted to go to my brother’s house or to our “old homestead”. Old habits die hard I guess. Anyway I had to turn around to get to exit 23 which was my destination. We were going to spend the week camping 2020 style. No tents for us. We had an RV to use. 

Communication is everything

Of course I got my wires crossed. Got to love texting. You try to keep everything short and the result is we get totally twisted up. Because I’d gone to the wrong exit my brother thought I was meeting him at his house but by the time he replied I’d turned around and was headed back to the correct exit – exit 23.  He said come on to the house so I said ok I’m just getting gas. He thought I was in Bolton the town on the lake when I was really in Warrensburg.  I finally found my way back to exit 24 and then it was just a hop, skip and jump to his house. We then caravan-ed back to where I started at exit 23. We are still laughing about that.

Puzzle update:

Here’s where I left off on the puzzle before my road trip. Making slow but steady progress

 

Dreaming about Retirement

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Dreaming about Retirement can Make it Real

So I’ve always been told that when you write down your dreams it gives them substance. It makes them real and possible. I’m a lot like the  Grasshopper in Aesop’s Fables.  I’ve worked hard but I played hard too. I haven’t planned ahead. I always figured there’d be more time. I’ve had a lot of fun but now when I think about retirement I don’t think I’m ready. So I’ve been dreaming and putting together a 5 year plan in my head. It’s time to put it in writing.  Make it real!

The 5 Year Plan

The first thing I need to do is develop a source of income. It doesn’t need to be a lot, just a bit to supplement  my social security so I don’t have to raid my savings account. And I do plan to keep on traveling. I’m thinking a e-commerce site maybe using my photos as a base. The downside is that everyone is a photographer these days with cell phones and all so I need a twist.  I’m looking into cards, puzzles as well as photos. I like the puzzles but to make them affordable I will need to make them, not farm them out and for that I need a work space. Which brings me to where I would live.

Location Location Location

I currently live in a condo. It’s convenient but small. If I want to have room to work I will need more space. Plus I have arthritis in my knees so getting up and down the stairs on laundry day is getting hard.  So in a couple of years I’ll update the condo, fresh paint, new rugs etc and put it on the market. Hopefully I will make enough from the sale to purchase another place. I don’t really care what state I’m in as long as it’s affordable. I’d like to stay in New England but property values may make that impossible. This little project will have to evolve as time goes on.  I see a cottage/cabin/ranch- one level. A small home with one bedroom and a work space. There needs to be a washer/dryer hookup and I’d like a fireplace.

Maybe a log cabin? Or a Manufactured home? 

Amenities

Simple needs. I would want high speed, reliable internet, cell phone service and some type of TV. Sounds simple but I might end up very rural to make it affordable and those perks may not be as easy to come by. 

So anyone who has been through this, I’d love to hear from you. I’d really like suggestions for a side income. I think that’s the #1 priority. What do you think?

 

Another Heat Wave On The Way

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Another Heat Wave

Another heat wave! It’s Hot Hot Hot.  90+ temps for at least 3 days in a row. The tropics are stirred up. There’s a hurricane headed to Waikiki. Hurricane Douglas , the strongest storm on the planet has Hawaii in its sights. Meanwhile Hurricane Hannah is en route to Texas. Here in Boston we just plan to melt as heat and humidity continue to climb.

2020 Continues to Torture

If Corona Virus wasn’t bad enough we’ve got race riots, police protests, Australia burned, volcanoes exploded and  hurricanes are everywhere! What’s that you say? Don’t forget the killer bees? What else can possibly go wrong in 2020? 

On the South Rim, Grand Canyon 2008

Travel

Believe it or not I’m starting to really miss travel. I’m not sure I’m ready to squish myself into an airplane yet but I’d love to revisit some of my favorite places such as the Grand Canyon. Get a 2nd chance to get a spectacular photo. Or maybe just see what I missed. Even a day trip or long weekend to my neighbor state to the north, New Hampshire. I haven’t gotten a picture of a loon yet but I know where to find them on Squam Lake, NH.  Did you know that Squam Lake is where they filmed On Golden Pond?

But here we are, still in lockdown, wearing masks and social distancing which brings me to my most recent update. I know you are all wondering. Have I finished the puzzle or did I give up. What’s new in the jigsaw puzzle world?

Jigsaw Puzzle Update Time

I am still plugging along. Making some progress. I’ve got a lot more bits put together that I have no idea where they go but I also have the beak. It was easy. It was red, and I’ve added more to the border. I can recognize part of a leg. But now I’ve got a lot of very similar colored pieces without unique marks, colors or stripes. This part is going to be really hard.  But I will persevere.