Category: Maiden Voyage

Today was a weather day.

Team Levenberg made record time getting hitched and moving this morning (and for the record, soundly beat Teams Gauvreau and Palm). Unfortunately, what we were so efficient in moving toward was a big storm directly in our path.

We were very sad to say goodbye to the other Altoistes, but get to have an extended mini rally with another couple who is also heading to the KOA south of Chicago. We also got to share the ferry ride with Jim and Dale and that was fun.

About an hour after we got on the road, it started to rain. Then it rained a little harder, then it got serious, with lightning and thunder and wind. I drove slow, but never felt it was at a point of being dangerous. I appreciated not pulling a big metal box down the highway. Dory stayed right behind me, steady and solid.

It eventually let up and stayed dry until we got to our campground around 4. Car navigation took us on a very circuitous route through corn fields and small feeder roads, but I thought it was very pleasant. It also reminded me that I would be approaching familiar land again, and that felt comforting.

Richard flies home tomorrow and he is not a happy camper. Neither am I for that matter. Yes, I’m looking forward to having the kids join me, but I will miss my copilot for sure.

After pulling in, we went out to dinner with our mini rally Alto friends at a surprisingly good Mexican restaurant, located in an unlikely-to-be-a-prime-culinary-experience location next to a Dollar Store. We were getting ready to leave and the heavens opened up. I mean, it really started dumping. The wind was blowing the rain in waves going not quite sideways, and lightning was turning the whole sky into a fireworks show. Shopping carts and planter containers were blowing all over the parking lot and even the tall metal lamp posts were swaying a disturbing amount. While I was worrying about Dory being blown into another county, our friends were worrying about their dog, who was still back in the Alto at the campground.

No one thought it was a good idea to drive just yet. Many iPhones were rapidly consulted and weather reports corroborated an end to the storm at 8:15. In fact, that was pretty much when it started to let up. We drove anxiously back to the KOA, fully expecting to see felled trees and scatterings of trailer parts along the road. As it turned out, not only was everything, including the dog, just fine, but our friends’ table that had been left outside still held an undisturbed bottle of bug spray.

One last night for Richard. For now.

Total miles: 321.8, Engine time: 6 hours, 59 min, 16.3 mpg

As this weekend draws to a close, a couple of things have become clear to us. First, we both somehow managed to seriously underestimate how much we would enjoy this. I know. That’s hard to believe. Next, we have gone too long without a break. It’s going to be very hard, especially for Richard since he goes back first, to transition back to real life.

Going on exciting vacations to exotic places has an appeal, but there is also a whole layer involved that is simultaneously exhausting when you stay in hotel rooms. Besides the logistics of shlepping your luggage and toiletries in and out all the time, you are also constantly adjusting to a new bed and an unfamiliar setting. If you’ve been out having fun sight seeing all day, you don’t really get to fully relax and recharge. So after a week or two, you’re ready to come home. It’s fun and all, but you end up needing time to recover from your vacation. At least, that’s what we’ve found.

This is different. Yes, it takes a little time to get used to your new home, but once you do, the vacation really is a true break. It’s all the fun, but with your own bed and bathroom at night waiting for you to unwind. It’s a real escape, a sanctuary, but it goes with you from place to place. I understand now why people would do this full time. The Alto is small enough to be manageable, but big enough to have plenty of personal space. It really has been perfect for us and we’re both scared of what it’s going to be like to stop because we can’t recall a time in recent memory when we’ve felt so free. And happy. What I told Richard to focus on is that, though this may be the end of the honeymoon, it is just the beginning of the marriage. All we need to do is commit to taking small trips often and to not let ten years go by again.

Back to the rally. On Saturday we all got to geek out by doing a tour of each others’ Altos. It was kind of amazing to see all the unique ways everyone personalized their little homes. We swapped storage tips and long time owners got to see all the changes in manufacturing. There were accessories to be shared, as well as funny stories. A good time was had by all.

We then spent the day biking around into “town” on the island and generally relaxing. That night we had a pot luck in the park’s pavilion and my little blue grill did a bang up job with a couple of steaks, some asparagus, and portobello mushrooms. We made brownies in our stovetop oven and that went over quite well. The group took turns sharing favorite places to camp in and around our home towns. If I recall correctly, there may have been some PG-13 content going around at this point and it is possible this was the result of some of the beverages being shared at the pot luck. A representative from Can-Am, an RV dealership and service center in Ontario, gave a presentation on towing. I know! Who would have thought that would be so interesting?? It was really great though, and I’m sure if we’d had internet service, we all would have gone back to our Altos and looked up gear ratios and overhang that night.

The next morning, Sunday, we shared a brunch back at the pavilion. Jim made griddle pancakes, we brought cinnamon rolls, there was a frittata and all kinds of yummy eats. We talked about future rallies and some members packed up and headed out. Those staying mainly endeavored to keep dry through an entire day of rain. I swear, I think we’ve seen more rain this trip than we have the past year in California, but that’s not saying much. We found ourselves having to dump out some overfill fresh water and it felt reckless and quasi criminal to just pour it out. Note: our grey water portable tank solution worked perfectly. It will definitely extend any stays where we don’t have full hookups.

We got a chance to host a few folks at “Cafe Dory” and Richard got to talk with the guys about battery monitors, so he was in his own personal Heaven. At the end of the day, those of us still there went out for dinner at a local brewery. Many head out tomorrow, including us. I look forward to future rallies, but this will be the one that is forever imprinted on my brain.

How crazy is it that this was one of the best days I can remember? How bizarre to feel so instantly connected to a group of people I have never met in person before. When I started the Altoistes Facebook group, I was, to be honest, primarily in it to find a resource for all the questions I had about the Alto. There wasn’t much information online, nor were there support groups established in English. So after just a little poking around, I figured out how to start a group. From there to today a community has slowly grown.

We left Lake Chautauqua this morning a little before 10. The caretaker at the KOA was extremely helpful in offering to take our propane tank to have it filled and bring it back in his little campground golf cart. That spared us some logistical figuring and no doubt lots of time.

The drive to Ohio took us through Cleveland and that was the most highway intensive driving I’ve done so far. Lots of interchanges to keep track of and there was a section with quick merging and sharp bends that certainly kept me on my toes. People like to cut you off when you’re towing a trailer and some will go to great lengths not to get stuck behind you. So I was fully awake by the time we got through that.

Right before we pulled up to the ferry station, we checked Facebook and saw that another member had just crossed. We pulled up to the ticket booth and the woman inside asked, “Do you rent these or something? Or do you own this?” We said we owned it. She said, “I’ve seen a lot of these things lately.” Yes, we explained, this was a rally. “Oooohhh.” Another person coming off the ferry from the island called out of his car window, “There are a bunch of you over there!”

We were excited.

Aboard the ferry, Richard and I got out of the car and I heard someone calling my name. I turned and saw one of the couples in the group and I screamed and hugged them as though we’ve been friends for years. And I felt the hug right back.

When we pulled into the campground, I counted four other Altos on our row. Hugs all around. Long time online “friends” now friends in person. We were all excited to see a yellow Alto pull in because those are not being made anymore. Turns out, this is Alto #6! This is celebrity status in Alto World. Also met Jim and Dale from RouteAlto80 blog fame. I’m like a kid at a rock concert, I’ll tell ya.

We had a nice socializing time where everyone gathered and enjoyed appetizers and beverages. We shared travel stories and laughs. Safari Condo provided nice little backpacks for all rally folks and one of the members made the most adorable thing I think I have ever seen: little homemade wooden Altos, complete with tiny hitches.

Oh my lord this was a fun evening! It was like a slumber party, but for adults. In camper trailers.

Total miles: 226.0, Engine time: 5 hours, 9 min, 17.6 mpg

We stayed put all day today. Woke to rain and it didn’t let up until late afternoon. Luckily, we were very happy with that outcome. Mostly, I was happy not to be driving in it because it got intense at times.

We did break the lazy do-nothingness with a few chores: laundry, dishes, dump, and a trip to a grocery store to stock up for the rally. We also baked biscuits in our little stovetop oven and that was lovely.

It’s beginning to sink in that this adventure will eventually come to an end. Richard flies home next Tuesday. That’s going to be rough. We’ll be holding tight to the thought of this being just the start of many more adventures to come, but we also know there will never be another trip like the maiden voyage.

This KOA gets full stars from us. Very nice facility. There are mostly really big rigs here and many “houses”. I’m not sure how they get here or whether they ever leave. They are clearly on some kind of towable frame, but other than that, they are full on homes and look way too permanent to be considered “mobile”.

Tomorrow we have just over 200 miles to get to our destination and we are looking forward to meeting a lot of very fun Altoistes. There will be pot lucks and general hanging out, and I’m sure, many discussions around electronics and solar panel monitoring.

I only took pictures of rain and mist and the sun finally thinking about coming out.

Today was a driving day.

We looked at the map last night and rough sketched a plan to get us to Kelley’s Island by Friday. The plan would have put us in the mid southern part of New York today and the western side tomorrow. This morning though, we were really in our groove for hitching up and we were rolling by 9. We made good time on the road and towing now feels basically just like driving, so going long distances isn’t a biggie.

With one exception. When driving, let’s assume for the sake of argument that I never go above the posted maximum. A full day of regular driving can cover 5-600 miles. When towing, I still really don’t like to go too fast, so sticking to around 60, after 8 hours, we covered 400. But we decided to go ahead and cover it rather than split it into two days.

We didn’t take a lot of pictures today but I did take a picture this morning of one of the more useful features we’ve found in our tow car: a downward facing backup camera! Bruce has three different views on the backup camera and once you get close enough, the third view is extremely helpful. I have nailed the car positioning for hookups every time using that. I still can only pull Dory forward, but I’ll figure that out later….

Along the road, we talked about how staying in a site for more than two nights started to push it with our grey water since we both love taking showers in the Alto. If you have “full hookups” you can dump your waste water into a sewer pipe, but at state parks, like Kelley’s Island, there aren’t sites like that. At most you might get electrical. There are also usually “dump stations” at the entrance to many campgrounds, so you can do a dump, but it means dragging the trailer over there to do it. Fine on your way in or out, but not so fine if you max your tank mid stay. I mentioned that I’d seen portable grey water dump tanks that would allow you to do some emptying without having to hitch up. Because we are now in the land of cell service, Richard was able to look this up while we were driving. Turns out, there was a “Camping World” store just 30 miles down the road on our exact route. And they had these in stock. Sweet. So we figured that was another sign from The Universe that we really should go buy a grey water portable tank.

Camping World for us is kind of like how the Lego store used to be for our son. We were hard pressed to only buy a few other things in addition to the portable tank.

Other than that, not much to report on from today. “Battlestar Gallactica” is confusing. We downloaded season 1 to watch at night and it really seems like we’ve jumped in at season 3 or 4 or something. I sort of get it, but it’s confusing.

We are staying at Chautauqua Lake KOA tonight and will very likely stay here tomorrow as a reward for our drive today. It’s a fantastic site with a lake view and no one in front of or next to us. We can’t really go to Kelley’s Island early because it’s all booked up and there are not a lot of other nice places between here and there. Plus, it is supposed to rain all day. We may make it a sleep in, laundry, write post cards kind of a day. And that sounds pretty awesome.

Total miles: 401.7, Engine time: 8 hours 27 min, 17.1 mpg

Woo hoo! I did 100% of the hitching up today and I’m pretty sure I did it right because Dory is still here.

This morning Richard went out for a bike ride up to Lake Placid and I decided I wanted to try doing all the set up myself. This is in preparation for when it will be on me by necessity. I’ve been “helping” all along, but really, I’ve mostly been in charge of interior set up/take down, while I’ve offered moral support and a checklist app while Richard does the hard stuff. There’s a lot to do! It couldn’t have taken me twelve hours because that wouldn’t jive with real time, but it did feel like it took me a long time. For every step there were things I discovered, like that Richard’s version of “finger tight” on the water hose is ridiculous. Thankfully, I brought wrenches in many sizes. It was tiring, but very satisfying to have done it all by myself.

His bike ride timed perfectly because shortly after he got back and we hit the road, it started to rain. It was really coming down there for a while, which I hope washed the bird poop off the solar panel.

Here are some shots from Richard’s bike trip:

  

After we got to Lake Sacandaga Campground, we had a couple of hours before we were expecting to meet up with some friends who live in New York. It is crazy hot here, despite the humidity and rain, so we turned on the AC. Man, we love that. A cozy little nap while staring out the huge windows at the lake is pretty darn nice.

Our friends from ages past arrived at the site and it was wonderful catching up and hanging out in Dory. Richard made a 12v cappuccino and we glowed about the trailer life. The theme we all talked about a lot was not waiting for fun, doing the things you want to do while you are able to still enjoy them. It’s all good.

We found a great little place on our way in to the lake so we drove back and had dinner together. It’s called the Up River Cafe and it has a glorious view of the river from their back porch. As soon as my friend pointed out there was something called Lobster Mac & Cheese on the menu, I felt compelled to have that. Richard had ribs and it was all delicious.

The rain really started coming down while we were there and we suddenly remembered we had left the ceiling fan running in Dory. Definitely felt relieved that we had gotten talked into springing for the optional automatic rain sensor fan that closes the vent when it detects rain. Then just like that, it let up and cleared. We Californians are easily impressed by weather.

We had such a nice time. The great thing about long time friends is how you can just jump right in to the “real stuff” without any pretense or facade. You already know all the dirt and love each other anyway. More so. That’s pretty cool.

We loved coming back home and finding Dory nice and dry with her little automatic roof all automatically closed. Her windows are starting to get a little grungy so I’ll have to find a time to do some serious window washing.

Right now I’m looking out onto the lake as darkness slowly takes hold and clouds of mist quietly form. There’s a pitter patter of rain on the roof and we are cool and cozy inside.

A nice glass of wine in a plastic wine glass and I’d say that’s another perfect day right there.

Total miles: 111.2, Engine Time: 3 hours 11 minutes, 17.6 mpg

Today was an up and down kind of day. We started off ok, but took a while getting out of the campsite. No biggie, no problem, just a little later than I had hoped. We don’t have a specific agenda during these next few days beyond making steady progress toward Ohio. We had a rough route planned out that included taking a ferry across Lake Champlain. It wasn’t going to be a huge day, but it wasn’t nothing either so I think we both wanted to get moving.

Eventually, we ran into map issues because we tried to stop at a rest stop that apparently does not exist. Spending time trying to get back on the highway, we both got a little grouchy. As we sort of processed this and worked out strategies to deal with travel stress, we got a sign from The Universe.

I knew all along that I’d need to get Bruce’s oil changed at some point on this trip and I’ve been watching the “Oil Life” message steadily descend from 100% to 20%. I wasn’t sure when or how this would happen and in the back of my mind, I definitely preferred the idea of having it done at an Acura place. But it’s not like those just appear on the side of the road.

Until today.

We both gasped loudly when we passed the big Acura logo and I did a full turn around to get back to it. Bruce got a full service and tire rotation and they washed him to boot. If we hadn’t gotten stressed with each other, we would have taken a different route (that’s a long story but the short version has to do with whether to listen to Google Maps or the car navigation system). But because we happened to be on this street, we found “the only Acura dealership in Vermont” (according to the guy there, I’m not going to verify because it makes a better story if that’s true). And we also had lunch in Dory while we waited which gave Richard the chance to verify that, yes, when parked in full sun, the solar panels work fine.

So the day went 100% the way it needed to go, travel stress and all.

After that, we easily made it down to the ferry and Dory and Bruce got to be on the water again. Nice scenic roads all the way to our KOA site near Lake Placid. We chatted with a nice couple about the Alto and we have functional wifi here. We are now sitting with a computer each, happily enjoying the front “dinette” area. I took a few shots of interior things that have been working well organizationally.

Total miles: 173.8; Total Engine Time: 5 hours, 1 minute; 16.0 mpg

 

Our aim today was to do some sight seeing around the area called Franconia Notch. We’d gotten a recommendation to check it out a while ago, and from the pictures, it looked pretty spectacular.

We treated ourselves this morning to cinnamon rolls baked in our propane oven! Man, you guys. That right there is worth the price of a trailer. I highly recommend you all have cinnamon rolls baked over a propane oven. Not because they taste any better, just because it’s super cool when you’re “camping”.

I took lots of pictures today so bear with me.

We stopped at a few places along the highway on our drive there because it seems you can’t go too far before you run into a scenic waterfall or something. The weather has looked iffy all day, but so far, no rain.

We stopped for lunch at a place called Cannon. There was an aerial tram that would take you up the side of the mountain to see something called “Old Man Mountain”. I took one look and thought: “Uh uh. No thank you.” The pictures were enough for me. Then we got fudge at the visitor center and Richard said, “I really need a little knife.” When he opened the box and immediately found a little plastic knife inside, he was highly amused.

Franconia Notch has this “Flume” trail where you get to hike a 2 mile or so loop right along this running water fall that has cut its way through the gorge. There’s a nice explanation of exactly what this is on the picture I took of the sign.

<—— There. I got you covered.

The boardwalk is actually a walkway made out of wood that comes right out of the side of the rock face. I have to admit, even though we knew it was safe, it really looked precarious. Richard did not like this part of the hike at all. In the visitor center it says that every single year, crews have to come out here and remove the whole darn thing or it will get destroyed by all the snow. Then come Spring, they put it all up again. At least that means it gets inspected every year right? Still, if any part of this baby went down, you’d be a goner. The ice cold water rushes at break neck speeds along solid granite. I was amazed how many parents let their kids dip their toes in the water along the edges.

Once we were past the suspended boardwalk part, it was just a lovely walk through nature down to a gift shop. We had gift shop coffee and a soft pretzel.

We are now thinking about what route we want to take to get through New York. The nicest route takes us frighteningly close to Champlain, New York. The one place in the world I do not want to go to is Champlain, New York, because that is where we apparently already crossed the border. I do not want to cross the border again.

I am right now able to get internet service in a little cafe in North Woodstock, NH. Richard is enjoying a delicious blueberry, banana, spinach smoothie. I’m going to post today’s events even though we’re not done with today. We hitch up and head out in the morning and continue West. We’ll need to do a “dump” of our grey water tank in the morning as it is already reading Full. For three nights, it looks like the limiting factors for us will be grey water, and electric if we don’t have hookups. We do here so we can charge and run things with reckless abandon. If we were counting on the solar panels, it seems we will need a sunnier spot.

Gonna get some dinner in town and head back to Dory. Verdict on the 2″ foam: worth it!

We are approaching a dangerous point: we’re starting to get used to this.

Today Richard set out on a big bike loop around the White Mountains. He had a great ride and even saw a bear! I stayed back at camp and got a chance to play with some of my toys. I set up the awning that now comes as an option with the Alto, made by a company called Pahaque Wilderness. I’d seen their products and know them to be a high quality establishment. In fact, I ended up getting one of their tents in anticipation of my son joining me mid July. It will also come in handy as a “guest room” I’m thinking.

The awning sets up pretty easily, even by one person. There is a little railing on top of the roof of the Alto and one side of the awning just slides into it. Then you put a shock corded tent pole together and slide it through the outside sleeve. Driving stakes into the ground is probably the most effort requiring part, but there were some trees nearby that worked for the guy lines. The sides can either roll up or stake down for privacy. In addition, I got an accessory to cover the entire opening. I was told by the company that they have already added more attachment points for this item so I’ll need to sent it in for retrofitting when I get home. For now, it will work just fine as the only slack points are at the top. It’ll be a perfect changing room and a place to do stretching.

I’ll be honest here, despite my best intentions, I have not done my stretching routine for about a week. Eek. I’ll get back on it, I swear.

After messing around, I drove Bruce down the same scenic route and met Richard for lunch in a town called Lincoln. We just happened to meet up as they were getting ready for a 4th of July parade. So we got to enjoy pizza and ice cream and watch the festivities. I also got enough of a signal that I was able to post a few days’ worth of blog backlog. I guess this is how the online access will probably go. I have mixed feelings about that. On the one hand, it’s nice to be disconnected, but on the other hand, I sure do feel disconnected.

We then stumbled upon a surprisingly good market and grabbed Teriyaki chicken and steak skewers, portobello mushrooms, and potato salad and drove the rest of the loop back to camp. It was a beautiful drive so tomorrow we’re going to explore on foot and bike in some of the natural attractions. Back at Dory, we enjoyed some down time with hot chocolate and a nice nap.

After tomorrow, we get three days of travel to make it to the “Alto Rally” where we meet up with a bunch of Facebook “Altoistes” friends. Really looking forward to that.

We enjoyed a picture perfect dinner with all my blue accessories.

   

We headed West today and made it into the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It was a longer drive than we’d done so far, but it was fine. Dory still tows incredibly easily, even over really rough, bumpy roads. Everything stows securely and we’ve only had minor things dislodge so far (like the trash can fell off and the paper towels and toilet paper have come unraveled).

We made a stop on our way out of Acadia at a Walmart. I’ve been getting a few cricks in my back and I think it’s due to the supreme firmness of the cushions. We do like firm so we’d prefer too firm over too soft, but we knew that getting foam padding in a more substantial thickness would probably help.

It is super nice to be able to directly put things away after you go shopping. Like you can put cold things right in the fridge/freezer and dry food right into the cabinet. It also makes it so that you really don’t have to look for fast food places on the road. Dory is fully usable even with the top down, so it’s easy to make a quick sandwich or get a cold drink. The only thing you really have to look for and keep on top of is keeping the gas tank full and occasionally going grocery shopping.

We will try to remember not to go to popular tourist spots on the 4th of July weekend. We luckily were heading out and away from the rush to Acadia but I felt bad for the poor souls along the highway, just sitting there backed up for miles and miles.

The campground at Crawford Notch is very nice with woodsy, secluded sites. There are bike roads for Richard and I plan to play with campsite things tomorrow and just take it easy. We’re here for three nights so it will feel kind of luxurious. We’ve been having crazy amounts of fun, but I haven’t yet gotten time to write post cards or just relax. I also haven’t been in a spot with wifi at night so haven’t been able to upload blog entries. That is on the agenda for tomorrow when I go into town for lunch.

We got kind of a spectacular gift from a dear friend in the form of a little blue Weber grill. I had bought a grill earlier, but it’s a little big for camping. And there’s this whole blue thing I have going and it was tan. I was ok with the other grill until Weber came out with adorable little grills in colors. Including blue. I will admit I was bummed, but couldn’t show it openly given the size of problem it so clearly was. So when I opened this gift, I was absolutely floored. It’s so nice when other people solve your first world problems for you so you don’t have to embarrass yourself. Tonight we got to use it. Not particularly gourmet, but after a full day of driving, grilled hot dogs really hit the spot. We will expand our cooking adventures soon I’m sure, but this was the perfect dinner for today.

Nice day. Again.

Ok, I messed up on total miles because I forgot to zero it out at the end of the day. These totals include today (the next day after this blog entry) for about an hour of driving without Dory. So it’ll be all askew. Oh well. Total miles: 286.3, Total engine time: 7 hours, 53 minutes, 16.9 mpg.