Seabiscuit and Beyond: November 2022

Location: Hagerstown, MD

After a fun vacation in Mackinac Island with my mom and cousins, Dave and I spent time in New England with family and friends, drove to Virginia for an overlander show and a pet sit, flew to Las Vegas and we are now in Maryland on another pet sit.

Pete and Dave working on our Chevy

Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, USA September 24 - October 6, 2022

Dave picked me up at the airport in Portland, Maine where we spent the night. The next morning we drove up to Edgecomb to visit with friends Brian and Kathy. The last time we saw them was when they spent the night with us on Seabiscuit, anchored near Camden, Maine, ten years ago. It's amazing how fast time goes by. We enjoyed catching up, told lots of stories, took a walk in the woods and ate supper in Damariscotta.

Kathy, Brian and Dave hiking near Edgecomb, Maine

From Edgecomb, ME, we made our way to Freedom, NH to visit with family. Dave and his brother, Pete, spent their time doing maintenance on our pickup trucks. Most of the work was preventive. Our 2007 Chevy Silverado has over 170,000 miles on it and Dave researched things that typically fail once they reach a certain age and/or mileage. We're planning on doing some overland travel with the pickup after we sell Seabiscuit and want to make sure things are in good condition before heading out into the boonies.

On our Chevy, they replaced the water pump, the serpentine belt, the idler pulleys, the temperature sensor, the transmission cooling lines and pressure tested the turbo, plus got the radiator repaired. They spent a lot of time chasing parts and disassembling things so that they could reach the things that needed to be fixed.

While the guys worked, Cathy, Julie and I visited, hiked and enjoyed the local area. We spent most evenings out near the fire pit, relaxing in the cool night air.

Pete and Dave working on Pete's truck. They took off the passenger tire to gain access to the cold air side boost tube so Pete could check the clamp torque.

Dave taking things apart on our Chevy to get at the things that need to be fixed

Pete getting out from under the truck. Ouch, it hurts to be old!

Pete and Dave taking a cookie break after a hard day's work

A hole in the radiator, how did that happen?

Cathy, Julie and B drove up the Kancamagus Highway and took a hike along Rocky Gorge on the Swift River

B and Cathy downtown Wolfeboro, NH

Something more fun, working on Pete's motorcycle jacket heater.

The view from Mary's Mountain, Freedom, NH

Julie making zucchini bread

Bill (Amy's cat) and Ollie (Pete's cat)

A hike around a pond, Freedom, NH

Enjoying time with the family around the fire pit - Mia, Erin, Mike, Mariah, Cathy, Dave, Pete and Julie

An afternoon with Maura and Brad's dogs, Carma and Saco, on the shore of Lake Ossipee

With the work on the pickup trucks complete, Dave and I said our goodbyes and headed south. We drove Highway 1A down the New Hampshire sea coast, past Wentworth by the Sea where Seabiscuit spent the winter of 2011, along Rye Beach, and into Massachusetts.

We arrived at Patti and Al's house in Beverly Farms in time for happy hour and supper and enjoyed an evening reminiscing about the good times we had cruising down the coast in the summer of 2012 and the annual trips that they made with us in other exotic location.

Al, Dave and Patti telling stories at Patti and Al's house in Beverly Farms, MA

The next day we all loaded into the van and drove the scenic route along the coast and through some fancy neighborhoods to Gloucester - first to West Beach, then Singing Beach and Black Beach and along Hesperus Drive to Manchester and Magnolia. We stopped at a bakery in Gloucester for a loaf of french bread then drove back to the house. We had delicious roast beef sandwiches from Ellie's then spent the rest of the afternoon chatting. For supper, Al and Dave made fresh lobster rolls, yum!

West Beach

The Patti Party Van

The next day, Dave and I headed west, through Vermont and into western Massachusetts. We drove some of the back roads, stopped and bought Vermont Maple Syrup and cheddar cheese and looked out over the hills at the trees changing from their summer to fall wardrobes.

The fall foliage in Vermont.

We stopped for the night in Williamstown, MA. The next morning we drove south down Highway 7 through the Berkshires in western Massachusetts, through Sheffield where Patti grew up, into Connecticut, across the southeastern corner of New York and into Pennsylvania. We stayed the night in Wilkes-Barre.

Hiking in October Mountain State Forest near Lee, MA.

The West Cornwall Covered Bridge, CT.

Motorcycles entering the West Cornwall Covered Bridge, CT.

Waterfalls at Kent Falls State Park, CT

Virginia and Las Vegas, October 7 - 24, 2022

We left Wilkes-Barre, PA on the morning of October 7th and drove south to Lancaster, PA in Pennsylvania Dutch Country. We had lunch at the Central Market in downtown Lancaster and bought some goodies to take with us on the road. From there we drove south and west through Maryland and West Virginia and into Virginia where we stopped in Staunton for two nights.

Overland Expo East was in Arrington, Virginia for the weekend. We spent most of the day on Saturday wandering around the Expo, looking at the displays of camping and off-road gear and talking with the owners and manufacturers of pop-up truck campers.

Pop-up truck camper manufactured by Four Wheel Campers

Pop-up truck camper manufactured by OEV (Overland Explorer Vehicles)

We had a few days to explore before our next pet sit, so we decided to go to Virginia Beach for a few days. The weather there was beautiful and we spent our time walking along the beach boardwalk and eating at the seafood restaurants along the shore.

A statue on the Virginia Beach boardwalk.

On Wednesday, October 12, we drove from Virginia Beach to Midlothian, VA, a suburb of Richmond, for a pet sit with Cricket. The house was near the James River and we walked down to the river almost every day. We spent a day at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in downtown Richmond, did a few yard chores and enjoyed our time with Cricket.

Cricket, Midlothian, VA.

Dave splitting wood

A walk along the James River

Cricket in her back yard.

Cricket's parents, Gay-Lynn and Bob, returned home from their vacation on Monday, October 17th. On the 18th, Dave and I flew to Las Vegas for our annual October trip. We, i.e. Dave, was really lucky and hit two big jackpots playing Pai Gow poker at the Flamingo.

The Texas Divas from Houston watching the Astros play-off game at the Bellagio sports bar.

Our first night in Vegas Dave hit a Royal Flush at the Pai Gow table.
On our last night in Vegas, Dave hit a Royal Flush at the Pai Gow table, same table, same seat!

We flew back to Richmond, VA on Saturday. On Sunday, we drove to Charlottesville and on Monday we toured the house and grounds at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's estate.