The Southern Coast of Maine

9/24/15 – 9/27/15 In Old Orchard Beach, ME

We left Bar Harbor, Maine and drove south, past Portland, and along the coastline to Old Orchard Beach --a quaint little town like many we have seen along the coast, and much like summer beach resorts all over the east and west coasts.  The East Coast is older though, and if not kept up, some of the buildings look pretty bad, especially here in the north where the weather is so cold in the winter.  However, the very rich from the eastern big cities like Boston and New York all built their ‘summer cottages’ along the eastern coastlines, and many of the mansions are unmatched in size and luxury.   Bar Harbor used to be one of those ‘gilded age’ destinations during the turn of the century, where families like Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Carnegie, and Morgan built lavish mansions as their summer getaways.  In October of 1947, 67 of these huge mansions were destroyed by a wildfire, along with 170 other homes and several large hotels.  There was no way out of Bar Harbor, so the residents escaped by boat.  They never came back to Bar Harbor.

Friday. 9/25/15.  Today we drove further south to Dover NH, then back north along the coast, stopping at Cape Neddick to see the famous Nubble Lighthouse.  Here are some pictures of the lighthouse and a panorama of the coastline.

Nubble Lighthouse

Cape Neddick

Panorama of Cape Neddick and the lighthouse

  I met a very interesting man, Bill Thomson, who was an artist, and long time resident of Cape Neddick.  He came there in 1929 and never left.  He was selling his artwork at the gift shop and added our name and date to the a picture we bought.  Here it is.

  After asking him where to go for a lobster omelette, he sent us to the Lobster Cove.  We found it after a little driving around town.  They weren’t serving breakfast, so I had Lobster Pie – which was fresh lobster in lobster bisque and covered with buttered breadcrumbs and baked.  Wow, was it good!  Look at the big chunk of lobster on the spoon!

Lobster Pie

 Everywhere we looked were large homes converted to Bed and Breakfasts, and large Inns.  Here is the Ocean Inn in Cape Neddick.

The Ocean Inn in Cape Neddick

We drove through Ogunquin, another summer beach resort town.  We didn’t stop because it was just too crowded and no parking.  On to Kennebunkport (not Kennebunk, the city).

Kennebunkport

Another very crowded summer beach town.  Did not find the Bush family summer home, but did take a beautiful drive north up the coast.  We saw many big houses with acres of mowed grass in front (which we never see in California).  We drove through Biddeford, ME where we saw a huge old mill, and wondered what it used to be.  Clearly it must have supported most of the townspeople when it was operating.  Now it was closed, but parts were being refurbished into lofts, apartments, storage areas, and commercial and industrial spaces.  I looked it up and found that it used to be a large textile mill (Westpoint Stevens Mill) in the late 1800’s and at one time employed over 10,000 workers.  When it closed, the town almost died with it, but one businessman, bought up the buildings  (which house over 1.1 million square feet) and has started the refurbishing programs. Now that takes guts!

We ended up back at our campground in Old Orchard Beach.  There is a great dog park about 1/2 blocks down the street, so Tom will take the dogs there before dinner.

Saturday, 9/26/15.  Mom decided to stay back with the dogs, so Tom and I headed out north to Booth Bay and the city of Bath, Maine.  We drove to Booth Bay, which is north of Portland.  We took the scenic drive around two of the peninsulas.  The summer homes were beautiful, but certainly NOT mansions, just a very nice place to be in the summer.  With the exception of the coastline, the inside of the peninsulas are densely forested.    Here are more pictures of the coastline, and some lobster traps.

Booth Bay 1

Booth Bay 2

Lobster Traps

That is it for tonight. Tomorrow is a travelling day.  We are headed back north in the state of New Hampshire.  We will be settling into a campground for 5 days while we tour the fall colors.  Because the summer is longer this year, the colors have not changed as they normally do.  Hope we have good luck there!

In Maine for Lobster

9/21/15 - 9/24/15  In Maine

We left Apple Island and Stowe VT,  on 9/20/15 for an overnight in Shelburne, NH.  We were happy for the easy drive and an extra night's sleep.  Left in the morning, looking for an RV repair shop that can help us with tank problems, but nobody was working.  It is 'after-season' up here and most of the local people are tired from working long hours during the summer and are beginning to shut down for winter.  I guess they mostly hibernate in the winter; at least one woman told me that.

Onward to Eastern Maine and Acadia National Park on Monday, 9/21.  It seemed like a long drive, even though it wasn't that many miles (about 230), but no major highways go east/west.  There is only one major highway in Maine, Interstate 95, and it goes north/south.  We had to drive through many little towns to get to I-95, then north to Bangor, ME, then south to Bar Harbor. Even though it was out of our way, it was faster.  We arrived in Bar Harbor at 5:40 p.m., a little later than we normally settle in.  We were all hungry, but mom didn't want lobster (silly girl), so Tom and I went out looking for Maine lobster, and mom stayed back with the dogs and fixed her own dinner.  Here is what we found: 

our Dinner

This is how you pick our your dinner - from a big tank full of live lobsters.  These guys are considered 'medium' size.  They weigh them and charge you by the pound ($9.95.lb) and then they boil them in seawater outside in huge pots (the restaurant had 6 pots going).  After they are cooked, them bring them to your table.  Here they are:

Yum!!  They even showed me how to get the meat our of he tail without utensils, you just crush them in your hand - go figure!  Turns out our lobsters were about 1.5 lbs each and you end up with about 8 oz of edible meat (claws, knuckles, and tail), but oooohhh! the meat is so sweet, probably because it is so fresh.  We sat at picnic size tables and joined another couple from Ohio who were really nice.  They were into the clams and said they were the best they had ever had.

Tuesday, 9/22/25 - Tom and I headed out to drive through Acadia National Park.  This is the most northerly and most easternly point of our travels.  The loop road was 27 miles and we figured it would be easy.  However, we found that the entire park is mostly heavily treed and some layered rocks along the side of the road.  The Bay is dotted with islands everywhere.  We drove to the top of the highest point in the park called Cadillac Mountain for a complete view of the island that Acadia Park sits on (Mount Desert Island).  First of all, Cadillac Mountain is only 1530 ft high and it is the highest mountain along the entire Atlantic Coast.  No wonder easterners are in awe of real mountains like the Sierras, and especially of the Rockies.  Here is a picture from the top of the mountain over the bay surrounding Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor is at the bottom.

Bar Harbor from Cadillac Mountain

Islands off Acadia National Park

I really had seen enough trees , and the rocks weren't much, so we didn't do the complete loop, and instead headed down to the bottom to Bar Harbor for lunch (I felt more lobster was in order).  We found a little sidewalk cafe and had the lobster and crab club sandwich .  Here is a picture of my sandwich.

My Lunch

  No kidding, there was about 2 lbs' worth of lobster and crab meat on this sandwich.  It was, without a doubt, the BEST sandwich (and probably the most expensive sandwich, at $22).I have ever had.  It was worth it all.

9/23/15 - Off to do chores again.  Need some shopping done, hardware store for RV repairs, laundry, and nails.  Mom is going with us, so we may do a little touring.  Of course, I plan on lobster for dinner again.

9/24/15 - Happy Birthday Kathie!  I hate being away for everybody's birthdays, but you are with us in our hearts. Today is a travel day.  We are heading down the coast to Orchard Beach, ME.

Apple Island, VT

9/14/15 – 9/20/15   Apple Island Resort, VT

Back at our campground in Clayton, NY – the power kept cutting in and out, so we couldn’t watch TV or the DVD I bought of Boldt Castle.  Tom didn’t think it was safe, so he unplugged our power.  Wow – this campground was horrible!

Monday, 9/14.  We arrived on Apple Island. It is in the middle of Lake Champlain (this lake is HUGE – it looks a little like one of the great lakes, except for the islands in the middle).  The lake is divided down the middle by the state borders between NY and VT.  We camped at Apple Island Resort on the Vermont side.  So far, this is our favorite campground.  Large level lots, good power and water, and a gorgeous view of Lake Champlain.

campsite at Lake Champlain -with Lucky watching birds

It has a family center with a card room, a library, business center, billiard room, and a large outdoor heated pool and spa.  There is a 9 hole golf course too.  The roads are paved and the parking spots have grass between.  The bath houses are  beautiful too.  Mom liked it here because she could get out and walk on the roads without fear of falling on slippery gravel roads.

Tuesday, 9/15, I spent most of the day in the  business center getting my bills and emails caught up.  I also was able to update my blog (Boldt Castle).  We haven’t had an internet connection strong enough to get my blog off for over a week , so I was happy to have a wired connection and get caught up.  Tom did some minor repairs and Mom spent the day reading.  No touring today.

Wednesday, 9/16—catching up day.  All three of us went to Burlington, VT (on the mainland).  Mom and I got haircuts, and Tom took the dogs to Pet Smart to get their toenails cut.  Then we went to the grocery story for a load of groceries.  We have been gone 6 weeks at this point, and this is the first big grocery shopping we have done.  After dinner we talked about staying here, instead of going on to the next campground.  It was only 80 miles from here, and we could see the touring sites from here.  Since all three of us liked it here so much, we extended our stay for 3 more nights and we will tour from here.  That makes our drive to Acadia National Park in Maine a very long driving day on 9/20, but it is OK.

Thursday, 9/17.  Tom, Mom, and I went to the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory in -Shelburne, VT  to take the tour. Can you see the teddy bears in the window?

Vermont Teddy Bear Factory

We had fun.  The tour director gave us an overview of how they make the bears, with a little humor.  They actually make all of the bears here (nothing gets shipped out) and they make about 750 bears every month.

The Cutting Room-20 Bear Parts

 The outfits are designed there, and even individual designs can be ordered (for a price).  I was impressed with the quality, and the bears are guaranteed for life (no matter what happens to the bear).  They even replaced a bear for a customer that ran over it with their motorized lawnmower (only pieces left).

Mom was hungry, so we stopped at a little café called Pauline’s on the way back to the RV. We all three had their highly-recommended crab cakes, and we were not disappointed.  They were delicious.  Not a drop left on any plates.  I knew when we left that this trip was about local food as much as the touring. 

Now it was time to stop for something sweet.  So we stopped in at the Champlain Chocolate Factory.  We had a brief video on the factory, because the factory shuts down at 2:00, but we could see some of the employees packing chocolate bars and we got to taste what they were making today.  The chocolate is Bavarian chocolate and absolutely delicious.  We bought some goodies and headed home.

Friday 9/18 – A Touring day.  All three of us piled into the Jeep for a scenic drive.  We headed to Stowe, VT.  This little town is touted as great by all the touring companies.  We took the scenic drive in the mountains above Stowe called the Smugglers Notch Scenic Drive.  I guess I expected too much.  It was just a very narrow and windy road without much else to see except trees.  The fall colors are not out yet, so this was a big disappointment.  It gave me a headache and made Mom very tired.  We went back to Stowe and had a bad lunch at a 50's diner.  The town was very busy –no place to park.  There was a big car show in town for the weekend called the British Invasion – their 25^th anniversary.  Tom was drooling – he said this was the best news of the day.  On the way out, we decided to pass on the Hollow Cider Mill (it looked like a tourist trap).  We did go to the Von Trapp Lodge.  Another Disappointment—It wasn’t the old home of the Von Trapp family, it was just a ski lodge for tourists dressed up to look like a Swiss ski lodge.  No Von Trapps here and never were. 

Heading out from Stowe, and we came to Waterbury, VT and stopped at the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory.


Tom at Ben & Jerry's

We took the tour, and enjoyed it.  The tour director had a lot of quips about cows and other miscellaneous jokes.  At the end, we got our ice cream – their new flavor, “Milk and Cookies”.  It was OK, not great.  I liked their last flavor, “Half Baked” with chocolate and vanilla ice cream mixed with gobs of chocolate chip cookie dough and fudge pieces.

Half Baked

Saturday, 9/19 – Tom headed back to Stowe VT for the car show.  When he came back, he said he had a really good time.  Here is his picture of his favorite car, and Austin that is a little smaller than his car. 

Austin A35

 Mom and I cleaned house and I had a long shower in the campground showers.  After dinner, Tom found that we were leaking fresh water from the fresh water tank.  No wonder we were going through so much water!  This could be a little job, like a leaky connection, or it could be a cracked tank, which would require a new tank (a huge job).  We will be on the lookout for a Winnebago authorized repair shop coming down the East Coast.  For now, it is just a dripping tank, so we will fill it up every day.

Sunday, 9/20 – Left Apple Island.  We had a good rest and got ‘caught up’ on all our chores.   Looks like we cannot make it to Acadia National Park, ME in one day's drive, as it is about 350 miles.  So, we decided to stop at the New Hampshire border with Maine and stay for one overnight (no touring).  We will arrive at Acadia on 9/21.  Don't know what kind of internet is available in the National Park, so you may have to wait several days to hear from me again.

Boldt Castle and Yacht House

9/11/15 – 9/14/15 Boldt Castle, New York

Friday: The manager of the park finally showed up and said we were parked ok. The weather turned bad and it began to rain. It rained most of the night, and in the morning, it started raining harder. We found more water behind the TV entertainment center again.  I guess the vent covers that Tom repaired were NOT the problem.  It is raining so hard that we cannot fix anything outside today, so we just caught it in buckets behind the TV.  It looks like the wires from the satellite TV did not get sealed on the roof!

We had planned on going to Boldt Castle on Heart Island in Alexandria Bay, NY on Saturday, but it wouldn’t be much fun in a downpour, so we decided to extend our stay here at Birch Haven Campground by one day and do laundry instead. I called the Boldt Castle Visitor Center to make sure they were open on Sunday and to get a weather report. Yes, they were open on Sunday; and Saturday was “rain”, but Sunday was “occasionally rain”. We decided to take our chances on Sunday. Meanwhile, I called our next stop and changed our reservations.

Sunday, 9/13, Tom and I left for Boldt Castle, about 26 miles from the campground, over a toll bridge, through wooded areas, residential areas, and one-lane bridges – with no road signs at all. We thought we were certainly lost, when we finally spied one sign to the Boldt Yacht House. When we arrived at the Yacht House, we were told that the community would not let them put up any signs, and they realized they was had to find!

The Yacht House was amazing. It was much bigger than I originally thought, housing up to 12 boats. The houseboat garage (on the right) held a 112 ft houseboat that George Boldt paid $75,000 to build in 1900 (converts to about 4.5 million today). The center garage could hold a sailboat with a 30-35 ft mast and two smaller garages on either side could hold up to 3 boats each. The floors moved up and down by screw lifts. The captain and staff of the fleet lived in the upper floors, with their own kitchen, bedrooms, baths, and a parlor. We boarded the shuttle boat to Heart Island there.

First—a little history: George Boldt came to America alone at the age of 13—a poor immigrant from Prussia, and became one of the most successful hotel magnates in America, as the proprietor of the Waldorf-Astoria in New York, and the owner of the Bellevue-Stratford in Philadelphia. At 26 he married Louise (who was 15 at the time) in 1877. She was his helpmate in the hotel business as was largely responsible for the beautiful Waldorf-Astoria, which she decorated.   In 1899, George Boldt bought Heart Island and commissioned to have a Rhineland style castle built on it as a display of his affection for his beloved wife.  It took over 4 years. George planned to give it to his wife for Valentines Day in 1904. However, tragedy struck and Louise died in January, one month before its completion. George telegraphed the workers to lay down their tools, that the project was cancelled. For over 73 years the castle laid dormant---at the mercy of the elements and vandals, until the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority took it over in 1977.  It was in a sorry state, but since 1977 they have continued to restore the castle and its grounds to its original and intended glory. Work continues today, with the top two floors and the basement still under renovation.

Tom and I arrived at Boldt Castle with no rain (hooray!) Here is a picture of Heart Island, with the Yacht house in the background, and the Castle and grounds in the foreground.

Heart Island in Alexandria Bay

The Power house is on the lower right, and the Alster Tower (also known as the Playhouse) is on the lower left. The Dove-cote is right of the Castle. There is also a Gazebo (built for his wife, Louise), an Arch, and beautiful Italian Gardens throughout. The house is 6 stories, and holds 127 rooms. The restored rooms are beautiful, but not too ornate. Here are a few of my pictures.

Boldt Castle

Grand Staircase

If you are ever in upstate New York, don’t miss this attraction. I was overwhelmed with its completeness. It had something for everybody who lived here, and for who visited. The Playhouse had two bowling alleys, a theater, and a billiard room for the kids. The main house could accommodate 100 guests, and there was an indoor pool in the basement for everyone. The porches surrounding the castle were very inviting, with benches to sit in and watch the spectacular views from all sides. Even the servants had all the best. Finally, the overall feeling of love and contentment is what I got out of it. It would have been a wonderful place to live in the gilded age.

Corning Glass and Cooperstown

9/7/15 – 9/11/15

Arrived in Campbell, NY. It was very humid and hot. In the 15 minutes it took us to level out and get the power on, the inside of the RV went from 84 to 94 (and about 70% humidity). The campground is rather large and has a pool and all facilities. We all had long showers and washed hair. Had ‘cold dinner’ - tuna salad – too hot to cook. Watched some TV and went to bed early.

 

Tuesday, 9/8, all three of us headed out to Corning, NY to the Corning Glass Museum. Did you know that Corning makes not only Corning Ware, but also Corelle, and Pyrex; also they blow glass and make beautiful pieces. I got to blow my own piece of glass, so I made a pumpkin. Here is a picture of my project and the result (I had a lot of help).

Glass Blowing my pumpkin

 

The museum was very large and had very old glass (over 3500 years old from Egypt), to very contemporary. Some of the pieces were huge, and others were so small, you had to look at them through a magnifying glass. Mom didn’t much like the museum. She said she had already seen it all! I think she was just tired of walking.

Wednesday, we stopped at the museum to pick up my finished pumpkin and headed further south to Meadow-Vale Campground (about 20 miles from Cooperstown, NY) in the country. We barely got parked and the sky opened up. It just poured, and yet it was warm and humid. I don’t think I could ever get used to this humid weather. After it while, Tom went outside anyway so we could have power and water. He got soaked. And still no power or water. It seems it was out throughout the town when the storm began. Oh, the joys of RVing! We had beans and weenies for dinner and went to bed early.

Thursday, 9/10, Tom and I headed out to Cooperstown to the Baseball Hall of Fame. It was a fabulous museum – so many memories of baseball when I was growing up. My dad’s mother was a big fan of the Dodgers and we went to the first Dodger/Giant game every year, beginning at the Coliseum and then at Dodger Stadium. I still have a baseball that my dad caught for me at Dodger Stadium. Here are a few pictures to bring back some memories for you too.

Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY

Lou Gehrig, Jackie Robinson, and Roberto Clemente
 

Character and Courage



All about Jackie Robinson
 

Murderers Row - NY Yankees
 

Back at the RV and Tom took the dogs over to the dog park. It was the best dog park yet. They got to run off leash, and they loved it!

Friday, 9/11, left Meadow-Vale for Clayton, NY, heading almost due north. We are parked in a very small campground on the St Lawrence River. The manager is gone and nobody answers the phone or the door, so we parked in a spot that one of the regulars told us they put the touring RVs. Hope he shows up soon???

In New York and Niagara Falls

9/4/15 – 9/8/15   ---In New York

Friday, 9/4 on the road to Niagara Falls.  I caught a bad cold in Pittsburgh on the last day, and doctored up right away.  I beat the sore throat, but the cough and bad sinuses got me.  I slept most of the way to Niagara Falls.  The campground I had planned on going to was private, and had no extra room, so I called the New York State Parks reservation line and got lucky.  This was Labor Day weekend, and I had completely forgotten about the holiday.  I got the last spot (out of over 210 spots) in a state campground called 4 Mile Creek State Campground (about 10 miles north of the falls).  It was beautiful, and our spot was on the back street facing Lake Ontario.  The spaces were wide and lots of trees and grass.  But, no cell service and no internet.  A long day on the road and we were all beat.

Saturday, 9/5 – Tom decided not to go to the Pierce Arrow Car Museum, mostly because he wanted to work on the RV on the roof.  He bought new vent covers and wanted to get them installed.  I was happy to over-medicate myself and spend most of the day sleeping. 

Sunday, the three of us took off for Niagara Falls.  Mom was looking forward to seeing the falls and so were we.  We parked in the first parking lot we came to (it was for the Discovery Museum and Aquarium).  I went in and bought Trolley Car tickets for the day and we got on the Trolley right away.  The guide at the front told us that the lines for the boat right were HOURS long yesterday (“you know it IS a holiday weekend,” she said), but they look pretty good this morning, so if the boat ride was on our want list, she suggested that we do it first.  We followed her instructions and were so glad of it.  The line wasn’t too bad.  I would say that it took us about 30-45 minutes from the start to getting on the boat, and all of that time we were walking toward the boat.  The weather was perfect in the morning.  We donned our blue ponchos (that they provided) and found a good spot to see.  The boat is called the “Maid of the Mist”, and boy is there a lot of mist.  You get completely soaked with all the spray from the waterfalls (the American Falls and Horseshoe Falls), especially your feet, as the poncho does not cover your feet.  Here are some pictures (hope the video works!).

Horseshoe Falls

The boat ride was wonderful and the thunderous roar of the water was amazing.  The only thing I didn’t like were all the pushy people (and there were a lot of kids in strollers).  They load about 600 people every hour on 3 boats – spaced about 20 minutes apart.  Then came the longest wait – the line for the elevator up 200 feet to the observation level.  But, we met a very nice couple from Maine who helped us and even gave us a tip on where to get the best lobster. 

At the Obsevation Level (Canada in the back)

We then went to the Visitor Center to see the IMAX movie on Niagara Falls, but the line was too long, especially after waiting in line for 30 minutes to use the restroom.  We decided we were done with the mass of humanity there, so we left to look for a good place to get lunch.  No luck there, the city of Niagara Falls isn’t very inviting.  In fact, it looked old and dirty and a lot of the stores were empty.  We went back to the RV and had lunch and a much needed nap in the most beautiful campground to date.

4 Mile Creek Campground

Lake Ontario at 4 Mile CG

9/7/15 – Monday – Labor Day

We had a lazy morning and left the campground around 11:00.  By this time, everyone else had already left to head home and work after the holiday weekend.  These pics do not do it justice.  The spaces were wide enough for two rigs and a tent.  They all had a fire pit, and the view on the Lake side was beautiful.  It looks like the ocean, not a lake.  We have reservations in Campbell, NY where we have planned more tours.  Hopefully, we will have cell service and the internet.

Pennsylvania to look up my Mom's roots

8/31/15-9/3/15  Off to Pennsylvania

Monday was a laundry day, as the Packard museum was closed on Mondays.  Talked to Karen while sitting outside on the roadway, and caught up on family and her plans to go up to see Evelyn, Nick, and Anna.  Also talked to Dad.  It was good to talk to them. 

On Tuesday, 9/1, we left for Pennsylvania.  Our campground was called Mountaintop Campground and it truly was.  A little difficult to find and uphill on a gravel road.  We had to call for directions, but finally made it.  I met one of the owners, one of two brothers who just recently bought the campground.  Not many amenities and no trees, but good power and internet so I am a happy camper.  Tom took mom to Lab Corp for her regular blood work, and I stayed back in the RV and caught up on email and some bills.

On 9/2/15, Tom and I drove into Pittsburgh to visit with a client (and friend), Bud Scott.  He just moved into a new house 2 weeks ago, but he was so happy that we came and was very proud to show us the house.  Also we got to meet his partner, Tom, who is a native of the area.  The house was built in 1902, but recently remodeled.  Whoever did the work--it was done very well.  They are very happy there.  A man arrived to measure for window treatments and when he left, Bud and Tom and I left for the South Hills area of Pittsburgh where my mother grew up. 

 

It was a bit of a struggle finding the address, but we finally had to park the car and walk the street to try and find the house.  It looked like is was tucked downhill in a hollow.  It was almost completely invisible from the road and covered by trees.  Here is the best picture I could get from the street. 

Bud walked over to a neighbor to the right who was outside working in his garage.  Then Bud and the neighbor walked over to me and the neighbor asked me what the family name was.  I first told him ‘Williams’, but when he didn’t recognize that, I said ‘Lorenz’, and he clearly recognized that name. He said, “Yes, I think that is the Lorenz house, and I think a Lorenz lives next door.” About that time, his wife (her name was Linda) arrived and she offered to go to the other neighbor’s house with us.  We walked to the neighbor to the left and a woman came to the door.  I told her I was trying to find out if her neighbor next door was part of the Lorenz family and she said, “Yes, and I am a Lorenz.”  It turned out that her name was Linda (Lorenz) Banks, and she was the daughter of Ross Lorenz – therefore, we were cousins.  In fact, her grandfather, Louis Lorenz, and my grandmother, Alberta Lorenz, were brother and sister, making us 2 ^nd cousins.  Linda Banks and her husband, Tom Banks, had lived in that house for 43 years.  Their house used to be the barn for the Lorenz house, but her husband remodeled it into their house.  She said that the land around the property used to be farm land.  She spoke lovingly of her grandparents.  She called Louis ‘Pappy’ and her grandmother ‘Chickie’.  She told me that her brother, Tom bought the old Lorenz house and he and her husband were working on it.  She also talked a lot about ‘Uncle Butch’, who is my cousin, Darryl Lorenz.  She told me to be sure to say “Hi” for her, when we see him in Myrtle Beach.

Linda then directed us to the old schoolhouse, which was a large  (4 story) red brick building about a ¼ mile from her house.  We followed her instructions and found the old schoolhouse and on the front of the building were large letters, “LORENZ” in blocks built into the front of the buildings.  It looks like it has been converted to apartments now.  Here is a picture.

Bud then took Tom and I on a tour of Pittsburgh – all of his favorite places, and some famous places.   I had no idea that Pittsburgh had become such a college town.  In fact, Pitt (University of Pittsburgh) and Carnegie Hall and Museum are right next door to each other.  We then went  back to his house, picked up Tom, and went out to dinner at the Hoffbrau House.  A great day all in all.

9/3/15 – Thursday.  We went to see “Falling Waters”, likely the most famous home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.  It is tucked way out of the way, in the forest, and built over a waterfall.  Here are pictures. 

The structure is tiered, just like the rock surrounding the Bear Creek, and is built almost into the surrounding nature.  All of the terraces are cantilevered out over the main structure.  It was built in 1935 and 1936, and is just amazing.  There is also a guest house built in 1939 above.

Another big day on our journey!  Tomorrow we are heading for Niagara Falls, New York to see what we can see.  Tom, mom, and I are all doing fine, as well as the dogs.  Hi to all. 

The Henry Ford Museum and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

8/28/15-8/30/15 Detroit, then Cleveland

On 8/28/15 Tom and I ventured to The Henry Ford.  It is a complex of about 5 attractions—The Henry Ford Museum, The Ford Rouge factory tour, The IMAX theatre, Greenfield Village, and another I cannot remember.  We first went to the Henry Ford Museum.  I  expected cars, and instead it was sectioned off into several different museums; one on farm equipment, one on furniture over the years, one on power generating equipment (including huge old steam engines), one on how we lived through the years, with advertising, household items, toys, and many other items of a certain time, one on the advance of flight over the years, and of course, one of cars (all brands including Fords).  It was really enjoyable.  I especially loved the timeline stuff, including a TV from 1946 and an old photo booth (1959) like we had when I grew up in Crestline.  Here are the pics -for Dad.

1946 TV

1959 photo booth

After walking for a couple of hours, we headed for Greenfield Village.  Here, I think the people at Ford tried to make it look like a mini-Disney park, but they failed miserably.  A train circled the property and blew its whistle so much you couldn’t hear the man on the speaker.  Most of the buildings were recreations of old homes and labs, such as Ford’s family home and Thomas Edison’s home and lab.  Did you know that Henry Ford and Thomas Edison were best buds?  We walked through most of the property and back to the car, and I thought my legs and feet were going to fall off.  Even Tom complained about his sore knee.  Greenfield Village was a big disappointment.

Called and wished Larkin a ‘Happy Birthday’ when we got back to the RV, but no answer, so I left a song instead.  I hope you had a great #9 birthday Larkin.

On the road again, this time to Cleveland.  Stopped for gas in Toledo.  Paid $1.94/gallon for regular.  How about those prices, Dad? Arrived late in Jefferson, Ohio (the GPS lady took us the long way).  The campsites are all unlevel and Tom had a time of it trying to get us a level as he could.  Also, had a problem with the power station so we had to move.  All of this in 80 degree temps and about 70% humidity (very uncomfortable).

8/30/15-Tom and I left for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland (about an hour drive away from the campground).   The building is shaped like a glass pyramid and 4 levels at the top.  Level 1 and 2 had most of the stuff, but both of us had the impression that it was ‘cluttered’.  Every display was full of costumes, sheet music, memorabilia, etc.  Also recordings were playing in every room at the same time.  The best show was in a quiet theatre and it was all about American Bandstand and Dick Clark.  It ran about 30 minutes and showed clips of all the singers and bands he introduced- it was Great!  There was a big section in the front on Elvis (of course, he was The King!).  Also smaller sections devoted to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Alan Freed (the DJ from Cleveland who coined the term “Rock and Roll”).    Here is our photo at the R & R Hall of Fame.

08/30/2015

We then left for the Cleveland Museum of Art.  A beautiful building and full of wonderful art (including Rembrandt-one of my favorites), furniture, porcelain, rugs, and anything else you can imagine.  We could not walk the whole place, especially since we spent so much time at the R & R Hall of Fame.  Had lunch in the atrium (central area surrounded by 4 add-ons to the 1912 original building. It was completely enclosed by a 3 story glass roof - and air conditioned – lovely.

Atrium at the Cleveland Museum of Art