Posted in: Animal Sightings, Exploring New York, Museums & Tours, Sightseeing, YouTube Video Link

Maid Of The Mist

Written by tepetravels 2 Comments on Maid Of The Mist

One of the things that had been on Ben’s bucket list, was to ride the Maid of the Mist. He has wanted to ride it since he saw then on a trip to Niagara Falls when he was a kid.

We bought our tickets online the night before and headed over the Niagara Falls State Park when Ben was done with work. The ride lasts about 20 minutes, so even though there was a line, we didn’t have to wait long.

It was a pretty warm out, so we didn’t wear the poncho (per the recommendation of the staff). We did get wet, but it felt nice in the sun. We saw a couple of rainbows in the mist. The American Falls were easy to see from the boat and to get some pictures. The Horseshoe Falls had a lot of mist! If you wear glasses/contacts, I would wear contacts if you go so you can see better. I had my glasses on and they quickly became hard to see out of.

The boat did have speakers, but we couldn’t hear any of the recorded message being played.

Canada still had its borders closed, so we didn’t get to walk over the bridge to see the Falls from their perspective. I bet they are pretty amazing from there, although they were still great from the US side.

After the boat ride, we walked over to Goat Island and and saw the Horseshoe Falls from the top.

DETAILS:*

  • TICKETS: $25.25/adults, $14.75/child. COVID Restrictions: masks required.
  • HOURS: Depends on the season. (6/19-8/8 9am-8pm, 8/9-8/28 9am-7:30pm, 8/29-9/5 9am-7:15pm, etc. Check here for times.)
  • PARKING: Pay parking on street, nearby lots, or Niagara Falls State Park ($10-15)
  • BATHROOM: Yes in the buildings, not on ship
  • TIME RECOMMENDED: 20 minutes+ Reservations are not accepted, so there may be a line. The ride is 20 minutes long.
  • *Details correct at the time of posting, but please double check before you go.
Posted in: Campground Review, Exploring Vermont, Museums & Tours, National Park, National Parks, Sightseeing, YouTube Video Link

Quechee/Pine Valley KOA: Campground Review

Written by tepetravels

We had one goal in Vermont: maple syrup.

This campground wasn’t too far from a working maple syrup farm, a National Historic Park and Site, the Quechee Gorge, and New Hampshire.

The campground had an office camp store, laundry room, playground, a dog park, a fishing pond, and a pool. Trash was placed at the end of your site for pick-up. Recycling could be placed in a separate bag for pickup as well. The office sold ice, firewood, and bait. There were banana bikes for rent. They did a nice job communicating by text!

The KOA was 18 minutes from Sugarbush Farm, 7 minutes from New Hampshire, and from 4 minutes from Quechee Gorge. It took 18 minutes to get to the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park. There were two Walmarts at 8 and 18 minutes away, and a Hannaford’s 9 minutes (in New Hampshire).

VIDEO: Quechee/Pine Valley KOA Walk Through

SUMMARY OF CAMPGROUND:

Our rating: 3 out of 5 hitches

Cell Phone Reception: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile

Laundry: Yes

Bathrooms/Showers: Yes

RV Sites: Pull Through, Back-in (grass/gravel)

Pop Up Tents/Gazebos/Outdoor Rugs On-Site:

Amenities: picnic table/fire pit/grill/cable/playground/dog park

Cabins: Yes

Tent Camping: No

Full Hook-ups: Yes

            Amps: 20/30, 20/50

Pool: Yes

Food On-Site: No (some grocery type items in store)

Camp Store: Yes

WiFi: Yes

Accepts Mail:

Fishing: Yes (catch and release)

Posted in: Exploring New Hampshire, Hiking, Museums & Tours, National Park, National Parks, Sightseeing

Saint-Gaudens National Historical Site

Written by tepetravels

Will and I explored the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site. This park was located across the river in New Hampshire, but was only about a half hour drive from our campground in Vermont.

Saint-Gaudens was a sculptor and the grounds contained information about his pieces and life. The house was closed, but the other buildings were open. I would not recommend this one for younger kids, as it was a lot of reading and not really interactive. There were some trails, including the Ravine Trail (which the Ranger told us was really more of a moderate path). However, since there was a heat advisory out (92℉), we did not do that trail.

The park also had a phone audio tour available, which was a nice feature to learn a little more about the pieces shown. Will completed the Junior Ranger program there, and they had a neat looking badge.

DETAILS:*

  • TICKETS: $10/adults, children 15 and under free. Can use America The Beautiful Pass. COVID Restrictions: masks required, House closed
  • HOURS: May 29-October 31 (9am-4pm)
  • PARKING: Yes
  • BATHROOM: Yes
  • TIME RECOMMENDED: 1-3 hours
  • *Details correct at the time of posting, but please double check before you go.
Posted in: Exploring Vermont, Hiking, National Park, National Parks, Sightseeing

Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park

Written by tepetravels

Vermont has one National Historic Park, the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller. The parking lot for the Park was across the street and is shared by the Billings Farm.

This Historic Park has 20 miles of trails and carriage roads (no bikes allowed, but does allow cross country skiing in the winter). The Mansion was closed while we were there and the Visitor Center only open for bathrooms. The Rangers did have a station outside of the Visitor Center for maps and Junior Ranger Programs.

Walking the grounds, Junior Ranger Loop

There were two Junior Ranger Programs: the traditional (received a wooden badge) and Change Maker (received a quarter made for the Park).

Mansion images, Junior Ranger program booklets/badge/quarter

It was a really hot day, so we only did the Junior Ranger loop and walked around the Mansion. The grounds are beautiful and I’m sure the trails would be amazing. It was so neat to learn from the Rangers about the quarter and that the Junior Ranger badge was made from wood located on the property.

DETAILS:*

  • TICKETS: Mansion tours were $8/adults, free for ages 15 and under (closed while we were there). Walking the grounds is free. COVID Restrictions: masks required, Mansion and Visitor Center closed.
  • HOURS: Trails dawn to dusk
  • PARKING: Across the street at Billings Farm.
  • BATHROOM: Yes
  • TIME RECOMMENDED: 1-3 hours
  • *Details correct at the time of posting, but please double check before you go.
Posted in: Exploring Vermont, Sightseeing

Calvin Coolidge Homestead

Written by tepetravels

One of the historic sites we visited was the Calvin Coolidge Homestead. Calvin Coolidge was the 30th President.

According to Maps, it was listed as open. However, when we got there, the sign said it was closed on Mondays. We were able to walk around, but the museum and any real information was closed. Without the buildings open, there just wasn’t a lot to learn, so we didn’t stay long.

Posted in: Animal Sightings, Exploring Vermont, Hiking, Sightseeing

Quechee Gorge

Written by tepetravels

This was a neat spot to find. The Gorge is part of the Quechee State Park. You can park at the Gorge Visitor Center and walk to see the Gorge for free. I believe there is a small fee to get into the rest of the state park.

The Quechee Gorge was amazing to walk over. The bridge had cut-outs in the fencing to allow for picture taking. There were a few trails near the Visitor Center, including the one we took to go down to the river.

Views from the bridge of the Gorge

There were a lot of people hanging out near the river. Some had chairs that they placed on the rocks, others had picnics. There were both dogs and people swimming. We saw a frog, lots of tadpoles, a couple of small fish and crabs. The boys had shorts on, so they went swimming in the river. It was a hot day, so I’m sure it felt good.

The River. We saw a lot of tadpoles and the boys swam in the shallows.
Posted in: Animal Sightings, Exploring Vermont, Food, School, Sightseeing, YouTube Video Link

Sugarbush Farm: Exploring Cheese and Maple Syrup

Written by tepetravels 4 Comments on Sugarbush Farm: Exploring Cheese and Maple Syrup

We only had a short stay in Vermont and the main goal was to see…MAPLE SYRUP! We found a nearby working farm called Sugarbush Farm. They make maple syrup and cheese and offer free tastings.

We got to try 3 of the 4 types of maple syrup. The farm did not have a lot of the Golden Maple Syrup. The color of the syrup depends on the weather, so the quicker the weather warms up, the less they may have of a certain color/grade of syrup. All of the syrups were tasty. Ben, Nick, and I really enjoyed the Amber. It had a little different taste than the other types. The Dark was the flavor we are used to having (we normally buy the Grade A Dark syrups at the store). Will really liked the Very Dark syrup.

There were also several cheese types we could try. Ben’s favorite was the Extra Sharp Cheddar (aged 4 years), while Nick and I enjoyed the Sage Cheese.

The farm has a walking trail, goats, cows, and horses to see. There are picnic tables in case you brought a picnic. There were also two photo stand opportunities and there were selfie stands set up for those as well.

The maple syrup production area was not running while we were there, but there was an informational video and lots of signs explaining the process.

There was a store located in the tasting building and we went a little crazy buying cheese and syrup. We got to talk to the owner, Betsy. Everyone was incredibly nice at the farm and we really enjoyed our experience there. If you are in the area near Woodstock, Vermont (or Quechee, where our campground was), I would make this a stop on your journey. It’s amazing how much work goes into getting enough sap to make a quart of maple syrup. (Hint: Look at the picture above. It takes 4 1/2 buckets to make 1 quart.) The farm also does mail orders!

VIDEO: Boys Walking Around Sugarbush Farm

Posted in: Animal Sightings, Exploring Vermont, Sightseeing

Quechee, Vermont Flea Market

Written by tepetravels

We were driving to our first tourist destination and saw a flea market at the Quechee Gorge Village shops. We had to stop of course!

We bought a jar of zucchini relish, which ended up being a lot sweeter than we thought it would be. There were several neat pieces, including some old wooden chests, but nothing that would fit well in the RV.

There were a few permanent stores in the shopping area as well. We found a great gift/souvenir shop and Vermont Spirits. The gift shop had some really cute kid items. We bought a maple vodka to share with visitors.

Posted in: Broken/Damanged Things, Maintenance, Newbie Tips

Our First RV Flat Tire

Written by tepetravels 2 Comments on Our First RV Flat Tire

On our move day to Vermont, it had been going pretty well. The sun was out, the kids were occupied, I had some music playing. I’ve made it a habit to check the truck and the RV TPMS sensors during our drives.

We were about two hours from our campground when I noticed the rear passenger tire was at a lower pressure than the others. It was in the shade, so at first I was hopeful it was just the sun making a difference (which it has before). I kept my eye on it and noticed it was slowly, but steadily losing pressure.

The shoulder of the highway was pretty narrow and we really didn’t want to pull off on the side of the road. We managed to find a nearby exit that had a Bass Pro with a larger parking lot. It even had a Walmart next door. Ben was amazing and was able to change the tire with the jack from the truck, our separate scissor jack, and our trusty Lynx orange leveling blocks*.

Once we were in Vermont, I brought the tire to a tire store to get checked out. We didn’t want to drive to our next campground without a spare tire. When I called the store, they had one matching tire in stock and would hold it for us. The boys and I headed over. Once we arrived at the store (Tire Warehouse), they checked the old tire first to see if it could be fixed. It turned out that the rim was the problem! You couldn’t see anything wrong looking at the tire/rim, but when a soapy solution was applied, you could see bubbles forming on the rim itself. They did not have the right sized rim in stock, but were able to get one for us. It was a white rim, but it was more important for us to have a spare than to have them match.

As it happened 1 day after our year anniversary of buying the RV (bought 6/4/20 and tire happened 6/5/21), the dealer said it was not covered under their warranty. I was told to contact Keystone and they told me to contact the tire company (Load Star) to see if it was covered under their warranty. I’m still in process of dealing with the tire company to figure this out.

We bought our TPMS sensors through TechoRV.com. I would really recommend having these sensors for your RV!

*Affiliate link

Posted in: Campground Review, Exploring Maine, National Park, National Parks, Sightseeing, YouTube Video Link

Mt. Desert Narrows Camping Resort, Bar Harbor, Maine: Campground Review

Written by tepetravels

We stayed at the Mt. Desert Narrows Camping Resort near Bar Harbor, Maine so we could visit Acadia National Park. This is part of the Thousand Trails network, but was not included in our membership. It was on the same island as Acadia, so it was conveniently located.

The laundry room was under the backside of the office. Washers and dryers were $2/load (quarter machines, no change machine). Each site had a picnic table and a fire pit. There were some nice views of the water and the campground was large enough to get a nice walk in. The campground had free WiFi (standard campground level), but it was a nice feature for a Thousand Trails campground.

The campground had a pool (not open yet while we were there), an arcade, playground, camp store, and a laundry room. The arcade was only open on the weekends Friday to Sunday 9am-8pm. It was older, but the kids still enjoyed it. The games were $0.25 per game, except for the ball crane machine at $0.50. There was a change machine in the arcade. The laundry room charged $2 per load for both the washers and the dryers and were coin operated, but there was not a change machine in the laundry room. The laundry room was open during office hours. The camp store sold ice for $2.25 and firewood for $5.25.

Bathrooms, Camp Store, Laundry Room with book exchange

Most of the sites had trees for shade. It looked like most of the sites were pretty level, although there were a few that were on part of a hill that could be harder to level a RV. The campground was large and made for some nice afternoon walks, especially since the tent area was empty while we were there. It faces the ocean, so if you get closer spots, you could have some great views.

Our site, playground, pool, ocean view at low tide at campground

Bar Harbor was 15 minutes, Acadia National Park was 10-11 minutes away (to the Hulls Cove Visitor Center entrance). There was a grocery store in Bar Harbor called Hannaford’s that was 15 minutes away, and Walmart was located in Ellsworth and was 15 minutes away.

SIDE NOTE: The campground used well water, so it did have a bit of an odor to it that we were not used to. We just used our awesome Berkey* and filtered all the drinking water. The Bar Harbor area gets its water from Eagle Lake and wells, nearby Seal Harbor from Jordan Pond.

VIDEO: Mt. Desert Narrows Camping Resort

Our rating: 3.5 out of 5 hitches

Cell Phone Reception: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile (could be spotty)

Laundry: Yes

Bathrooms/Showers: Yes

RV Sites: Pull Through, Back-in (grass)

Pop Up Tents/Gazebos/Outdoor Rugs On-Site: Yes

Amenities: picnic table and fire pit/grill at site, cable, playground, pool, basketball hoop, swings

Cabins: 1

Tent Camping: Yes

Full Hook-ups: Yes

            Amps: 20/30 or 30/50 amp

Pool: Yes

Food On-Site: No

Camp Store: Yes

WiFi: Yes (free)

Accepts Mail: Yes

Fishing: No

*Affiliate Link

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