Author Archives: Sparky
Spare tire
The spare tire on the truck is a form of insurance: you hope you will never need it, but just knowing it is there eases some worries. But, unlike insurance, you also have to make sure it is in shape to be used. This is a lesson that is usually learned the hard way, by … Continue reading
STW1 Hop 1: Oakham MA to Glenville NY
145 miles via MA 148, MA 67, MA 19, US 20, I-90, I-890 (near Schenectady) and NY 5. Cumulative tow miles: 145. Truck miles: 145. Cumulative truck miles: 145. The hard part of this route was the 30-plus miles on local roads before we got to I-90. The roads were fine, but this was August … Continue reading
Transponder use
We have had a transponder, used to pay tolls on the Massachusetts Turnpike and other MA toll roads, for nearly 10 years. Over time the region in which the transponder can be used has grown and now covers most of the northeast. We can now automatically pay tolls when driving the Yaris anywhere between Massachusetts and … Continue reading
Second Trip West (STW) preview
We are four days away from embarking on our second cross-country trip. This one will, like the first, include Tillamook OR as a stop, but, unlike the first trip (the Great Trip West or GTW), this time Tillamook will be the final destination. The route is designed to hit many of the states that we … Continue reading
A visit from Liliani
I finally got to spend some time with my granddaughter, Liliani, on Saturday. It has been 10 months since I last saw her, which is certainly not because I didn’t want to see her; it was a negative consequence of our decision to wander around New England this summer. It wasn’t until we got to … Continue reading
NET Hop 7: Littleton MA to Oakham MA
40 miles via MA 2A, MA 2, I-190, MA 31, MA 122A and MA 148. Cumulative tow miles: 471. Truck miles: 461. Cumulative truck miles: 3036. We have been to Pine Acres Family Campground several times. We have stayed at Boston Minuteman Campground many times. But we have never traveled directly from Minuteman to Pine … Continue reading
The 4th with family
The New England weather this summer has been… mixed. No, that is too kind. It has been crappy. It has been wet and it has been cold. The days with no rain at all have been scarce. We set a “record low high” on July 14 with a high of 66. Crappy. But, between the … Continue reading
NET Hop 6: Northwood NH to Littleton MA
69 miles via NH 43, NH 101, I-93, I-495 (around Boston) and MA 3A. Cumulative tow miles: 431. Truck miles: 545. Cumulative truck miles: 2575. This was a very easy, quick hop. I actually expected the traffic to be brutal as I thought many people would have been ending a week-long 4th of July vacation … Continue reading
Wells ME and the Maine coast
One of the main (Maine?) reasons for staying in Wells was to explore the area and, possibly, actually get to the beach. Unfortunately, Jett was a bit under the weather during our stay so we didn’t do as much exploring as we had hoped. I did get to a couple of cemeteries and wandered about … Continue reading
NET wrapup
Today is the last day of the New England Tour (NET). Time to look back. By the numbers: 88 days in 8 different campgrounds. Towing miles: 471 over 7 hops. Cumulative truck miles: 4293. Campground fees: approximately $5,500 (about $62.50 per night). Yes, RV campsites in New England are expensive. Highlights: Seeing family. The NET … Continue reading »