Author Archives: Sparky
The Biltmore Estate
My bucket list is not very long, but The Biltmore Estate has been on it for a number of years. On Wednesday I checked it off my list. I was expecting Biltmore to be similar to The Breakers in Newport, RI. And why wouldn’t they be? The Breakers was built by Cornelius Vanderbilt II, grandson … Continue reading
TTS Hop 5: Natural Bridge VA to Asheville NC
279 miles via I-81 and I-26. Cumulative tow miles: 1,171. This was another “easy” hop in terms of navigation: down I-81, then down I-26 to Asheville. But it was a long trip, with a refueling stop, and a couple of problems arose. First, some rubber molding on the RV came loose several times, requiring uncomfortable … Continue reading
TTS Hop 4: College Park MD to Natural Bridge VA
212 miles via I-495 (around DC), I-66 and I-81. Cumulative tow miles: 892. I consider this a “low stress” hop because it was almost entirely on interstate highways. I was worried that the first 50 miles – on the I-495 DC Beltway and out I-66 – would have a lot of stop-and-go traffic, but there … Continue reading
Apple Island “Resort”
Jett and I spent nearly 6 months this spring/summer/fall at the Apple Island Resort in South Hero, VT, about 20 miles north of Burlington, VT. I previously reported on our first workamping gig and won’t comment further on working there. This is just a review of the campground itself. I have a problem with the … Continue reading
TTS Hop 3: East Stroudsburg PA to College Park MD
222 miles via US 209, PA 33, US 22, US 222, US 30, I-83, I-695 (around Baltimore), I-95 and MD 212. Cumulative tow miles: 680. This was almost a reverse of the hop last spring, with a few minor differences. The biggest difference is that we decided to travel US 30 to its connection with … Continue reading
Taking out the docks
The final task in my marina mini-career was taking out the docks. The floating docks had to be removed from the lake and stacked on shore, to keep them from being crushed by the winter ice. This is normally a simple task, taking maybe a day and a half. This year it took a bit … Continue reading
TTS Hop 2: Oakham MA to East Stroudsburg PA
232 miles via MA 122, MA 31, MA 49, US 20, I-84 and US 209. Cumulative tow miles: 458. We are getting out of New England just in time: the temperature in Oakham dropped to 32 the night before we left and also dropped to 32 in East Stroudsburg, PA, the night we arrived. Frost … Continue reading
Duck hunting
I have never lived near a duck hunting venue, so I was a bit startled earlier this month when I woke to sounds of gunshots nearby. Apparently Lake Champlain is a good place to bag some ducks on their way south. Ducks: take note. I was also amused and amazed at the effort that duck … Continue reading
TTS Hop 1: South Hero VT to Oakham MA
229 miles via I-89, I-91, MA 2 and MA 122. This first hop of the TTS was a mirror image of the last hop of the STN, so there was no new scenery. We stopped twice: a lunch stop in Hartford, VT, and an emergency roadside stop just north of the MA border to reattach … Continue reading
Our first workamping gig
“Workamping” was coined to describe those full-time RVers who earn a living while traveling by working at the campground at which they are staying. It is kind of like the Old West where itinerant laborers would work around the ranch for room and board. I don’t know how many people do it, but there are … Continue reading »