Final Destination- Unadilla, NY

Unadilla KOA campground

Undadilla (or "You and a Gorilla," as Staff calls it) was actually not our final destination, but it was the place where the Kramer men where meeting for their motor-cross race reunion.  The last city was Mt. Kisco, NY, where Staff's brother lives

Unadilla Motor-cross

Holden and Keith

But let's start with Unadilla. As usual, we were traveling in the dead of night planning to arrive at KOA Unadilla Campground sometime after midnight.  Stafford tends to drive until the gas tank is down to its last 30 miles or so. Although I'm not like my mother, who likes to fill up when the tank reaches 1/2 full, I will say that on long road trips, I like to fill up when there's about a 1/4 tank remaining.

Nonetheless Staff was driving, so we were on fumes and desperately looking for a gas station. (I was desperate. He was calm.) We had just passed the last medium-sized city.  The next city had a Mobil station, but when we pulled up it was closed.  We were now down to about 17 miles left in the tank.  We had a discussion about whether to camp out in front of the gas pump and sleep in the camper until morning, or try our luck and keep going.  We kept going.

The next exit had a Citgo sign.  I was resigned to sleeping in the parking lot if it was closed.  Heck, I'd already slept in Walmart's parking lot.  I was used to waking up and looking out at customers from the trailer window in my nightie. Of course I should have known that in the Kramer universe, things always work out. Naturally, it was open. A lady with missing teeth behind the counter wearing a stained torn uniform shirt tried to sell me the cheaper on-sale bottled water, saying, "We have to watch every penny these days." Alright, I get it. Our trailer almost running out of gas and my worry about camping in a parking lot was a high-class problem. A little perspective is always a good thing.

If I may digress for a moment about the Kramer luck...seriously, things really do work out in Stafford's universe.  I've learned not to sweat things too much after witnessing this luck in action over the years.  He says it's just his non-freakout approach to life, but I think it's something in the stars or a blessing of sorts.  In fact, a friend who studies astrology says it's probably because his Saturn is in alignment with the moon at a certain time and Venus crosses Jupiter then.  Exactly my thought.  Never being able to remember the astrological explanation, Staff just says his luck is due to having a moon up his ass.

So we filled up the tank, took doggies out for a potty break, and headed to Unadilla. The signs for KOA campground from the highway all the way down many curves and turns were plentiful and accurate.  This is key when driving late at night in unfamiliar territory. We guessed our fall-asleep time to be around 4:00 a.m.

We slept the sleep of the dead, not waking until about noon. Staff left immediately to meet his dad and brother at the race, while I stayed behind with doggies. At this point in our travels, doggies had become much better about hanging out in the trailer alone.  So I had no problem with solo-parenting.  I was able to walk all 3 around the campground, 2 attached by leashes and 1 by belt around my waist.  Bet you can guess who required the waist leash? One hint- it wasn't Cloud or Yuki.  Finny has to be in front and pulls fiercely with every bit of his 60 pounds. We were the object of lots of stares, oo's and ah's about their white fluffiness.  Little kids always want to pet them. While I love that, trying not to get tangled among the children and samoyeds is bit like being a puppeteer - it takes practice.

After doggies got their exercise, I needed a little alone time by the pool. Gazing up at the tall trees with their leaves quivering in the breeze and azure sky, I saw a bald eagle circling above.  It was all I could do to not jump up and run around the campground shouting, "BALD EAGLE!  LOOK UP!"  People there probably would've reacted like Staff did about the meteor shower. No big deal. Seen 'em before.

Another walk with doggies, a little computer time, and Staff was back.  Famished, we drove into town.  Unadilla is a sleepy old town that appears to have been deserted when the economy went bad.  Charming homes from the early 1900's lined the street but looked like they were in need of some serious love.  Staff had asked a guy back at KOA where to eat in town, and he said some "real New Yorkers (from the city)" opened an Italian restaurant.  It was here that I ate the best meal of my life. Ever. Seriuosly. I was moaning. I had chicken lightly breaded over pasta with broccoli and garlic. My meal was called "Frank."  All of the dishes were named after Italian men.  Except Staff's.  His was just called "ravioli."  I will never forget Frank. My mouth waters just thinking about it.

After another tomb-like sleep, we drove to Mt. Kisco, a hilly charming suburb in Westchester County, just north of NYC. Stafford's brother and girlfriend, Holden and Laura, kindly invited us to park the trailer in the driveway while we visited.  Their adorable 9 year-old, Kyah, also welcomed us with a jump into our arms and a huge hug.

I fell in love with Laura's kitchen and garden design.  Cool blues, tans and browns all made for a very calming effect.  Kind of like Laura herself.  She's studying massage therapy, and I think she'll be great at giving off relaxing vibes. Her "natural garden" in front included tall grasses, purple, brown and green plants. Nothing really flowery, just earth tones.  And, I love this, a statue of the Buddha sitting cross-legged in meditation among the shrubs.

I loved Mt. Kisco, and again wondered what the teachers were paid there.  That area is surrounded by mountains, or at least very steep hills.  You could see mist settling between the valleys of the mountains  while walking around the neighborhood.

We said a quick "hello" to Keith, Staff's dad, and he was off to see his old hang-outs in NYC.  Later on that day Holden and Laura took us out in their boat on the Hudson.  Once again, leaving doggies was easy-peasy.  They were so chill in the trailer by now, they were like, "Don't make too much ruckus when you leave.  Dude, we're trying to sleep."

A quick but dramatic thunderstorm arrived exactly at the moment that we got in the boat. So we spent a few minutes under the tarp until it passed. When we peeked out from underneath, the sun was bursting through the storm clouds, and there was a rainbow, too.  I took about 100 photos. 

Post-thunderstorm on the Hudson River

Holden and Laura

Uncle Staff and Kyah

Boat mechanics

They swam in the brackish Hudson waters, but we were too chilled to go for a dip.  They had parked the boat just outside a beach swimming area. It was very peaceful and a great way to escape city stress.  I could see why you would want to do that as often as you could. 

Holden and Kyah

Afterward we met up with Staff's friends from school, Marlene and Ernest. It was fun listening to all of them reminisce with their heavy NY accents. I'm sure my Fargo accent was entertaining, too, though I was pretty mute.  I loved learning another side of my husband and seeing him through their eyes.

The next day it was time to start our journey home.  Laura graciously invited me to her yoga class.  I thought it was a good way to start a 12-hour car ride.  Actually, the class was kind of really hard. Let's just say, I was out of my league.  I had new respect for Laura.

I could talk more about our ride home, but we took the straightest route home.  No Lake Erie this time.  The best part was Pennsylvania.  Miles of green rolling hills and mountains.  I didn't want to sleep and miss any part of it.

Oh, yes, and doggies were great.  Slept most of the way home. When we finally got home, 2 days later, Finny ran around in circles and everyone celebrated by going potty on the 7-inch uncut grass. It was good to be back.

Next Stop, Conneaut, Ohio

After Michigan, we continued along I-80 to another tiny town, Conneaut, Ohio.  We weren't sure how to pronounce it, though one might think it was "KO-NO" based on the French spelling. But I think the locals were pronouncing it "CONNIE-OOT," but I could be wrong.  The man at the campground was talking so fast.

The campground had its share of long-term residents. Some of the trailer homes were well-loved with pretty gardens and patio furniture while others, in Stafford's words, "screamed mental illness."

Instead of reinventing the wheel, once again an email to my brother sums up our experience in this town:
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An update on camping...and this is huge...doggies are resting quietly in their crates in the trailer.  Not a peep.  This changes everything.  If we can  get them to not be hysterical in their crates, we can leave them and actually do things by ourselves for a bit.  The key is wearing them out to the point of exhaustion. 

I think that the problem before was that using crates in the trailer was a new experience for them.  Plus, Yuki is a total foody, like her human mother.  She will awaken at any sound or smell outside that represents food. But she is at least not a barker.  The big problem is Finn, who watches her closely.  When she's on high alert, he gets hysterical. Then Cloud goes nuts and breaks stuff just because. Sigh. 

Hopefully they will get used to crates and us leaving them. 

Last night during a walk in the woods, I happened to look up and see my first meteor ever. It was wonderous, spectacular, and gone in a blink of an eye. Staff was way ahead walking w/ Finny, and I was shouting at him and pointing up in a whispering sort of way because it was about 11p.m. during camp "quiet hours," and he was like "Yea, I've seen them before."  I felt like Helen Keller when she first connected a sign to the thing itself.  Of course, I've heard of meteors my whole life, but it's taken 44 years to actually see one. I've become a huge fan since. 

If you happen to have energy, there is a meteor shower tonight.  I think Aug 14 it peaks.  It's the Perseid shower.  We're going to drive over to the beach on Lake Erie to watch it tonight.

Well, that's all from Conneaut, OH.  Tonight we'll go into Erie, PA for a visit and then who knows how long we'll stay here.  Staff's hoping for wind as there's a huge shallow area inside the breakwater at the Lake Erie beach nearby. I'm fine most anywhere as long as I can run or bike.  I went for a run this a.m. around a little lake here at the campsite.  Lately running is more fun.  My pace is slow.  As one trail runner woman said, "I start off slow, and then I take it down a notch."  That's me.  Recently I happened to watch Dr. Oz, and he talked about running more on the pad of your foot first, more like a shuffle, so that the heel doesn't land hard first.  The result is less shock to your knees and hips. He said our ancestors could run for miles this way, even the non-super-athletes I assume. (Maybe not our Irish ones, but you know, the ones way back.)   I still kind of hate it at the start and half to walk a little sometimes, but my legs and feet are much less fatigued.
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Besides the meteor, the highlight of this town was that the dogs finally let us leave them alone long enough to go for a bike ride around town.  They may actually release us from their doggy death grip.

Third Stop- Presque Isle, PA

Our next stop along Lake Erie was Presque Isle, Pennsylvania.  I think that is the name of the state park just outside of Erie.  The town right outside the park's entrance reminded me of the Dells, with lots of crowded campgrounds, a theme park and roller coaster, and lots of cheap diners and chachkis shops.

We stayed, if memory serves me, at the Hickory Hills Family campground.  Staff accidentally threw away the campground brochures I had carefully saved to document our travels. Ah, well.  Anyway, the campground was easy to find and they had no issue with our late arrival.  Another pull-thru site!!  Always a bonus.

Presque Isle State Park is a little gem, about 13 miles if you bike around it with about the same number of beaches.  Some had concession stands if you needed snacks, and others were more rustic.  I prefer a concession stand not too far away when at the beach in case I feel peckish.  Walking each doggy along the beach one at a time is hard work, and locating snacks become a priority.

By this time in our journey we were both feeling that perhaps we could try leaving doggies for a good 2 hours in the trailer and go for a bike ride around the park.  So we did our usual walk with them around the campground until they seemed good and tired, then brought them back to the trailer. You always need to sit with them a bit and move about slowly and calmly, as if to say, "We have no intention whatsoever of leaving you. That's right, just relax now. Don't be alarmed by us packing up our biking gear." 

The next day we left Hickory Hills and headed back to the Presque Isle with trailer in tow. We found a nice little boat landing where Staff could kitesurf, doggies could be tied up under a tree, and I could walk about.  The breeze was warm and the sun sparkled on the water.  Another picture perfect day on Lake Erie. Cloud's favorite spot wherever we go is in the back of the minivan on his sheepskin.  He doesn't give a rat's you-know-what about the beautiful landscape or sparkling water. Finny and Yuki can't get enough of the waves and get very excited when it's their turn to go for a walk with mommy along the beach.  Cloud barks, I think, only because he doesn't like being left behind.

Off we went for a ride around this lush green highly under-utilized state park. There was hardly any traffic once you entered the island, and the beaches weren't at all crowded.  I thought it was just because it was mid-week, but a couple we met from there said, "No, it just isn't used that much."  The beaches were just like Michigan with soft sand and warm clear water.  We biked together until I insisted Staff ride ahead, as I felt I was denying him his need for speed. After we separated I promptly overshot my turnoff, even though I had a map.  Maps are hard.  Did I mention this earlier?  I have something akin to map dyslexia.  I just need everyone to back off and stop pressuring me so that I can breathe deeply and concentrate, and then I'm fine.  But the pressure of Staff saying to me on the phone, "Where are you?" was too much.  I couldn't really tell him.  I just knew that I was starting to see road signs for stuff that didn't match where I was supposed to be on the map.

Eventually we found each other and we didn't separate again until the road was just a straight shot out of the park.  When I finally met him at the car, we decided to go back and check on the sammies.  Two hours was the longest we had left them before...

They were so good!  No damage, just resting quietly waiting for us. It didn't hurt that this time we had a metal crate for Finny.  We're lucky that we don't have a Houdini dog.  I've heard of some that can escape from even the metal crates!

Later that night we took them to the beach to watch for meteor showers, but I think they came much later. So we just listened to the water on the beach and watched the stars for awhile.  Admittedly the inky black darkness and quiet stillness was a bit unsettling.  I'd like to say I was not thinking about serial killers at that moment, but that would be a lie.

Presque Isle gets high marks from the Cassidy-Kramer clan.  We both wondered aloud what the teachers were paid and what the cost of living was.  We always think about moving when we discover a beautiful city or area. But I think we will stay put for now.  Next stop, Unadilla, NY.

First Stop, Michigan

After much discussion about how we were going to split dog-sitting duty, and a little trepidation on my part, we packed up the trailer again and headed to NY for Stafford's family reunion.  His family reunion consisted of meeting his brother and father at a motorcross race in Unadilla, NY.  All three of them had ridden off-road motorcycles growing up, and his brother thought this would be a fun event to see as a family.  I have to say, it was super cool. Stafford noted that it was stinky and loud, but very cool to see those guys flying over hills on their motorcycles. As soon as I figure out how to upload photos and video, I'll attach them.

First stop, Coloma, Michigan near Benton Harbor.  I thought we were in St. Joseph, but I think it was actually Coloma.  Anywho, the campsite, KOA Coloma St. Joseph, was pull-thru again-love that!  And the sites were shady, though a bit sandy, which made the trailer floor icky real fast. Perhaps we should invest in a floor mat for wiping off feet before entering. That's the thing about the trailer. Each trip reveals another thing, a gadget, a widget, or a something-or-other that we could use to make the RV more comfortable. Sigh.

So here's a message I sent to my brother that sums up the trip...

We're in Coloma, MI, or as Staff calls it "Colonic."  It's a tiny town with a DQ that closes very early, which is why he deems the town such a terrible place.  But truthfully, it's a lovely place.  The Michigan beaches, we have found, are nothing like the Lake Michigan beaches in WI.  They are endless with soft sand and picturesque dune-y shorelines.  We were able to tie up samoyeds in the shade right on the beach.  They are always an attraction for strangers, and everywhere we go, someone has a story to tell us about someone they know or work with who has a samoyed. The natural beauty of the Michigan shoreline reminds me of Door County, only without all the money. Maybe a tiny bit of Deliverance-esque feel, as well. 

The RV world is a hoot. I'm loving this decision to buy a trailer. It was tricky at first and required some getting to use to for us and samoyeds, but now it's just fun.  I reminded Staff that we used to have such disdain for those behemoth RVs and RV campgrounds, us with our wee tent and desire to rough it in the wilderness.  Staff said in his usual deadpan, "I still do. I hate myself."  Well, the evidence says otherwise.  We're fitting in just fine here, exchanging tips with other campers and whatnot. And, one cannot complete a trip in the RV without at least one shout-out, "shitter's full!"
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Oh, and doggies were with us the whole time tied to trees in the shade while we swam.  No attempts at leaving them alone in the trailer this time.  We all hung out together, and that was just fine.

Near Eden, Wisconsin

One thing I forgot to mention earlier is that my husband's family reunion was going to be held in NY in August 2010.  So these other RV trips were really just practice for the 12-day excursion across the country. 

Next we used one the of the coupons from the RV dealer to visit a campground about an hour away. The Westward Ho Nascar RV park near Eden, WI had activities galore almost on the hour and a movie every night. Plus, they had 2 nice sized swimming pools. Little Nascar flags draped the doorways and there were Nascar chachkis everywhere. There were RV trailers that never moved and were basically used as summer homes. Each little cluster of trailers constituted a neighborhood. According to the owner of the park, each community has its own personality and flavor.

My question was why Nascar?  Is there some relationship between Nascar and RV camping that I should know about?  I don't get it. 

When we checked in at night I noticed a coffee pot near the front desk. So in the morning when I was dying for my morning cup, I walked over to the office and helped myself to one and then moved inside the little store next door to pick up a milk carton for Stafford. At the counter, the lady charged me a dollar more than the milk price tag stated.  Oopsie. Coffee was not free. 

Then still hungry for breakfast, as we'd packed no food for this one-night stay, I walked over to the food shack.  I asked the girl about the kind of cheese they used on the omelet, and she said, "Well, it's kind of already made. We just microwave it."  When I asked her if it was any good she replied, "Well, I'm not saying don't get it, but it's kind of not great."  At that point I would have eaten my shoe, so I ordered a rubbery facsimile of an omelet.

Ok, so now about the dogs.  We tried the same routine, walk them to get them tired and relaxed, then sit for a bit, talk quietly, move slowly. Hopefully they wouldn't notice us slithering slowly out the door.  BARK! BARK! WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING!  WE KNOW YOU LEFT US!  YOU ROTTEN NO-GOOD HUMANS, ABANDONING US! WE KNEW YOU'D DO THIS TO US SOMEDAY!!  Ok, so that last few parts are my projecting my own feelings, but needless to say, they were not fooled.

We sat outside the trailer, peeking in the windows and reassuring them, saying that we had not left them and really had no intention of ever doing such a thing.  We probably looked very strange to anyone watching, walking around our trailer periodically saying sternly to the walls, "Quiet Yuki. No no Cloud.  Finny, that's enough."

They were adjusting a little more to the RV. We were able to leave them for about 10 minutes.  Progress!

Sammies go to Door County

The purpose of this trip was to meet my family for a reunion in Door County.  Unfortunately, my sister Mo, a cancer survivor, got a bad case of bronchitis that really hit her hard.  My brother, Joe, and sister, Nora, flew in anyway to be with her and my mom.  They just had their vacation at my sis' house.  

Stafford and I decided to still go to Door County, as his parents had planned to meet us up there.

Remember when I said the hounds didn't really adjust to the trailer during the driveway sleepover?  Well, they still hadn't adjusted during our trip to Door County.  Here's what happened...

First let me start by saying Bailey's Grove RV park was great, just minutes from the beach and downtown Bailey's Harbor.  We had a pull-thru site, as opposed to a "back-in" site. You want to avoid backing in whenever possible.  Especially if you have difficulty with spatial relations as I do and can't possibly twist the RV into position while driving in reverse. Seriously. I will pay extra for a pull-thru site. Fortunately Stafford has good spatial skills and can reverse like a pro.

They also had a swimming pool and free coffee.  It's a bonus when the showers are open 24/7, like this one, in case you pull in after midnight and are too tired to hook up the water hose.

Staff's dad, Keith, and Staff

Carolyn relaxing at the beach

Cloud in his favorite spot wherever we go

Yuki and Finny watching the kitesurfers

So about the hounds, on the very first day, the wind was up and my husband wanted to kitesurf in the worst way.  First we took dogs for a walk to get them nice and tired, and theoretically, relaxed. Then we sat with them to show them how lovely it was to just sit in the trailer and enjoy the ambiance. Both Yuki and Finn were put in one of those canvas crates that pack up nicely and look cute with their mesh siding.  Cloud was allowed to roam free because usually he just eats toilet paper or Kleenex, which we had hidden.

We tiptoed calmly out the door and headed to the beach.  Stafford began to surf, and I drove back to the campground to check on the hounds. I was greeted at the door by a panting, bright-eyed, tail-wagging Finny at the door, noticeably not in his crate. Cloud was also standing there looking suspicious with a big chunk of the white plastic from the door at his feet. So much for that cute crate that cost a small fortune. There was a perfect horizontal slice in the mesh siding the exact height of Finn's mouth. Yuki deserves a gold star for being a good girl and staying in her crate while the 2 hooligans wreaked havoc.

More adjusting was clearly needed.

Camping out in the Driveway

The new RV trailer before humans and sammies moved in...

To give you a little background, after about 2 years of research, my husband and I decided to buy an RV.  The main reason was so that we could take our 3 samoyeds, Yuki, Finn and Cloud, on the road with us. Every time we went on vacation we missed them terribly.  With the trailer we could bring them along and be gone as long as we wanted.  No more worry about dog-sitters forgetting to shut the back gate, setting off the burglar alarm, or mixing up the dogs and overfeeding the one to the point of noticeable weight gain when we returned.  I'm just saying.

We decided to give the RV a try in our driveway.  That way, if anything went terribly wrong, we were just stone's throw from the comfort of home.  The dogs were a bit confused at first about their sudden cramped quarters.  They shifted about nervously, which of course made me nervous that they'd never get used to it and that we were just torturing them.  But as usual, my calm husband reminded me that they just needed time to adjust.  They didn't adjust. Not really. Not on that first outing anyway.

Packing up the RV for our big adventure.