Ausable Point State Park, Peru, NY

This is a GORGEOUS state park less than half a mile from our campground, Ausable Pines, in Peru, N.Y., in the far northeast corner of the state. This morning we rode our bikes down to the state park, and rode around the campground and picnic areas, for a total of 4 miles for a little exercise. We could stay here in the motor home, but we would be "boon docking", a term for being under your own power the entire length of the stay because there are no electric or water or sewer hookups at any of the sites. We could easily do that. We have our own water tank and septic tank system which remains closed in a case like this, and we have a generator. We could have lights and or a fan running on battery power. This type of situation would be ideal for us with temperate days and cool nights for sleeping. We could remain self-sustained in the motor home for about two weeks, without outside electricity or water before needing to fill our water tank for showers and water supply, and running the generator occasionally to add juice to the batteries. Some parks do not allow generator useage at all, but this state park has certain hours where you could. We checked into the price--and it was about 22.00 a night, which to us was more on the expensive side for no utilities whatsoever. If you were tenting, this would be a great deal. Even Ausable Pines campground charges 22.00 a night for tents! But as you can see, the beauty of it was a sight to see...the beach for the park is on Lake Champlain, and there were quite a few sites that had direct access to a channel leading out to Lake Champlain. We would definitely consider staying here on a future visit.

Learning is a "power"-ful thing

We're still a little sore from yesterday's bobsled ride, so today we took it easy. We have two more days at Ausable Pines Campground. We are leaving Sunday for Catskill, New York, about 3 hours south of us on I-87 and we've chosen Brookside Campground as our destination. Eldy has a Passport America pass that gets us 50% off many campground site fees with some restrictions such as good only during Sun.-Thursdays. Here, Eldy is relaxing at our Ausable Pines campsite, on the shores of the little Ausable River.

Last night I spent a little time learning about Picasa, the free Google photo program. I signed up for a one year "Geeks on Tour" membership--they are a computer couple popular with RVers, they give seminars at rallys and online while on the road traveling, and they have lots of video tutorials-- for Picasa, blogging, the internet on the road, etc. If today's blog looks a little more polished, it's thanks to the geeks! I finally sat down and watched one video on the laptop. Eureka! Several questions answered...it just goes to show, you are never too old to learn new things!

Today's photo(s) are of our site at Ausable Campground. It's been one of the least expensive campgrounds we have stayed at, and really, for the money, $28.00 a night) it's quite a bargain considering we have wi-fi which is really speedy, cable, (great for rainy days, although I do my best to keep Eldy outside as much as possible, lol!), water, electric and sewer. We have had some difficulties with the circuit breaker at the electrical outlet tripping off three days in a row in this campground. Twice while we were gone, and once in the middle of the night and we weren't running anything more than we should be for 30 amp service, which is ONE air conditioner and normal lights useage. We have a very expensive surge protector (about 500.00--it's called Surge Guard) that we plug into the campground outlet, then our 50 amp plug plugs into it. (It is necessary for us because we are living in a home, although mobile, that uses 50 AMP service and because varying levels of voltage can be extremely damaging to your electronics in the motor home). If the voltage is too low, the surge protector shuts off current to the RV, then attempts to reset and turn back on after a short period of time. So that protects us against fluctuations in current that could damage a lot of different components in the motor home). It also protects against voltage surges which can also happen in a storm, or other situations. People have fried their wiring, computers, appliances etc. in motor homes time and time again because they trusted the campground voltage/electricity to be accurate and consistent. So we bit the bullet and bought one. (say THAT ten times real fast!) and have been VERY glad that we did. We can't always get 50 amp service, and with 30 amp, some older campgrounds seem to be having trouble maintaining a consistent 30 amp electrical service. If we use 30 amp service, then we have an adaptor that plugs into our surge protector. Are you bored yet?

OK, OK,I know you are dying to know-- did we do anything fun and/or exciting today? Yes, we did! We went on a bike ride that was 8 miles roundtrip. When the bike guide says, "easy, great for families," we knew this would work for us today. This trip took us along some country roads on fairly level ground, along Lake Champlain for a bit, and thru a state park. In came the rains again today--weather near mountains is very unpredictable! We've found that to be true very often...sunny one minute, clouds roll in, brief thundershower or rain, then back to sunny skies all within a few minutes! There was supposedly little chance of rain today, but we got hit just as we got back to the car. So glad we got our 8 miles in, and it was a lovely ride...not much traffic on this particular bike route. Tomorrow, we're thinking of going to another state park nearby, one that has nests of ospreys on the tops of telephone poles as you drive into the park with beautiful marshlands and birding habitat. (You know you are getting old when you start reading Birds and Blooms magazine, you put out bird feeders at your campsite, and the thought of seeing moose excites!) Good grief! I've turned into my mother!(which is a GREAT thing, by the way..)

Can you say fast?

Can you say FOOL???!!!! We checked out the bobsled ride today, and I mean not only did we check it out, we RODE it! At last post, I believe I said, "No way, Jose!" and I meant it. But after hearing that a 96 year old man rode it and enjoyed it, I thought, "WELL! I can't let a 96 year old guy outdo me! Must not be too bad. Two G's of force on you at the last turn? That doesn't sound too bad." Eldy graciously offered to pay for it, so I thought, well, why not? If I throw up afterwards, I won't feel quite as badly as if I had paid for it myself. I drove a stock car once at the age of 40 at least 75 miles an hour around a track, I thought I certainly could handle a top speed of 55 miles per hour! Well, yes and no...the first indication of that this was probably not a good idea personally for me, was the warning you should not go on it if you have neck problems. Having been rear ended at the age of 18, when an x ray technician clucks their tongue and states matter-of-factly, "I see you must have been in an accident at one point in time", that means I have neck problems. My neck really doesn't bother me much, it just sounds like a bunch of rocks grating sometimes when I turn my head. But hey, I'm used to it, I'm 60 years old and my body talks to me- a LOT. I kept thinking about the 96 year old guy, so I said what the heck! They outfit you with heavy, HEAVY duty helmets, and get you into the bobsled. It's like packing you on a toboggan sled. It was just Eldy and I, the driver, and the brakeman for our ride. I told myself, "Please don't make a fool of yourself and scream in the brakeman's ear." I'm still not too nervous at this point, as you start slow, with the brakeman running and giving you a pushoff and then he jumps in the back, just like you see on TV. What you DON'T see on TV is how fast you get going to 55 mph with the side walls and what seemed to be the TOP of the side walls of the run coming at your face within seconds of the pushoff. The other thing you don't see on TV is how jarring the ride is...that heavy helmet is rockin' and bobbin' on your head, there's 2G's of force pushing on you in the last turn, and I'm thinking..."Oooooohhhhhh, this is SO NOT A GOOD IDEA!" They tell you to hang on tight...NO PROBLEM. I'm holding on tight so my neck doesn't get whiplash from the helmet. I have lockjaw, shoulder lock, armlock and back all locked up by the time we get off the ride, 15 seconds later, and Eldy did, too. The adrenalin kicked in AFTER I got off the ride..I could barely walk, my legs were so rubbery. They take your photo at the end right after you climb out of the bobsled, and it was all I could do to not collapse and fall down so I had to lock my knees to keep upright. I asked Eldy after we got out of earshot of the employees, and said, "Did you see that wall coming right at your face in the turns?" He says, "No, I was just looking straight ahead." THAT'S the secret, if you want to do the ride. All I could see was the white walls coming at my face the entire way down. Was it worth it? To be able to say you rode the bobsled on the track the Olympians practice and actually were on in the 1980 Olymmpics, yes, it was! Would I do it again? HE-double hockeysticks, NO! Both our necks hurt quite a bit afterwards, and we decided, that we aren't going to be that foolish again. If there's a warning about necks, hips, or any other body parts, we'll probably say, "No, thank you!" and take photos of other people doing it instead. That, and it was quite expensive! ($50.00 a person gets you a tee shirt, a US team bobsled pin, a free photo, and a one year membership to news about the bobsled team, bragging rights, and probably, a stiff neck). Sigh!

Put the "Gee!" in Geology

One of the local attractions right down the road from our Ausable Pines Campground is something called the Ausable Chasm. It advertises itself as the "Grand Canyon of the East." A bit of a stretch, but it certainly competes with the other gorges we have seen. A chasm is a deep break or fissure in the earth, another word for gorge, actually. This is one of the country's oldest natural attractions, and goes back to about 1830 as far as visitors coming to see it. A very pleasant cedar chip lined trail path awaits you, cushy on the feet, which was great, because I forgot to put on my hiking shoes this morning when we set out. No worries, mate! Easy hike down to the gorge, waterfalls, or stay up top and walk the rim. Incredible geological formations which I can appreciate knowing a little about, thanks to the superb teaching of Mrs. Miller, at Angola Middle School in Angola, IN...where I used to assist in the science classroom, helping LD students. She would LOVE this trip! We saw one formation that was called Elephant's Head. You can certainly see why! There was a small rafting operation at the chasm, but tame in comparision to regular whitewater rafting. They have to lower the rafts and tubes down by pulley to the guys below waiting to go rafting. The rafting trip offered at Ausable Chasm starts PAST the rapids, the fun part, so it's a "float" down the river for about 30 min. with a guide who tells you all about the geology of the chasm. You can also tube it if you want to go on your own. We decided to hold out for the "big" water later on in Colorado or other white water rafting destinations. What happened to the luge ride today? Actually, it's the bobsled ride that Eldy is still considering. Because of the heat today (right around 90 with a LOT of humidity), we headed to the local mall to look around and cool off after our hike today. We are going to check out the bobsled and get more information tomorrow. There is a lot of preparation and waiting around before ever getting to take the ride with a brakeman and driver, so Eldy is not sure if this will be worth the wait. Stay tuned for Where's Eldo? tomorrow....

Practice makes perfect

We had purchased two Olympic passes yesterday for a variety of activities and discounts, well worth the price of $29.00. Yesterday, having taken the gondola ride up Whiteface Mountain as one of the listed discounts, we waited for the rain to abate today in the morning to try something else listed on our pass. There are quite a few things the discount pass gets you, too many to list here. The rain held off for the afternoon, and off we went to Lake Placid to see the ski jump that was used in the 1980 Olympics. A 45 min. ride to Lake Placid (from our campground in Peru, NY) gets you to the ski jump area. The drive on the way there is a Kodak moment every part of the way, mountains filling your front windshield, rushing rivers and streams and the western branch of the AuSable River off to the side of the highway. Our Olympic pass got us a ski lift ride up the mountain to the top (we remembered to put the holding bar down this time!), then onto an elevator to get up to the top of the tower. One of the photos shows the view of the tower AFTER you get off the ski lift! OMG, (ask any teenager about that), what an amazing feat these athletes accomplish to get to the point of jumping off that tower, which is 253 feet high at the TOP of the mountain, with an initial take-off speed of 60 m.p.h.! Unbelievable to be standing at the top of the tower, looking down on the jump! We also saw junior athletes practicing down below in the smaller jump area where they practiced flips, turns, etc., and then landed in a swimming pool for their finish. As we got ready to leave, inspired by the dedication and effort it takes to get to the Olympics, we saw junior luge/skeleton athletes learning how to maneuver the sled around much smaller curves and turns on a hillside nearby. So if you have a youngster in your family who looks for things to jump off from, ramps to fool around on, and engaging in other risky athletic endeavors, you may have the makings of a future Olympian! They have to start somewhere! Today, the ski jump, tomorrow the luge! Are you ready, Eldo?

How big is your adventure?

We saw this on a sign at the summit of Whiteface Mountain today. When Eldy hits a new place, he likes to go exploring. First we gather literature from the welcome centers, we pour over it, then we map out a location/destination that intrigues the two of us. Today it was Lake Placid (site of the 1980 winter Olympics and training grounds currently for athletes), Wilmington, and the surrounding area, about 45 min. from the AuSable Pines Campground where we are staying for the week. We bought an Olympic passport for each of us (29.00 each) and that gets you a gondola ride up Whiteface Mountain (over 4100 feet high), we did that--fantastic! and discounts for a bobsled ride, should you feel foolhardy enough to want to spend 70.00 for a 30 sec. ride on a real bobsled with 2G forces on you, and discount passes to Olympic Village and the ski jump site. On the ski jump site, you can go to the top of the 120 ft. tower that the Olympic ski jumpers fly off of. Back to the bobsled ride--guess who wants to do that? No, siree bob, not me! Looks like Eldy will be doing that one on his own in the next day or so. We did the gondola ride up the mountain today, we went into Lake Placid for lunch, then on the way back, we stopped off at High Falls Gorge, 700 feet high! (10.00 each to see that). A thunderstorm moved in just as we finished walking the gorge and falls area, so back home we came. The photos today are of the summit at Whiteface Mountain and the High Falls gorge. The gorge photo is a little video. Hope you can view it! The two little boys were so cute sitting there looking out over one of the most dangerous ski slopes in the winter, you wouldn't believe the drop off at the edge, you couldn't see the ground on the ledge take-off, it was so steep! We met the Canadian parents of the two little boys as I asked permission to take their photo. The dad and Eldy talked baseball, while the mother and I exchanged campground information--typical, eh? I thought the two little boys captured the essence of the mountain--two little guys, one humongus mountain...pefect! click on the photo of the little boys to get the larger impact. It's supposed to rain every day for the next three days, so we'll see what Eldo comes up with! This might be the first time we kick back and do laundry, compute, scrapbook for me, and see what else comes up. We've been very lucky with the weather, hardly any rain wherever we've been..tomorrow Eldy takes the car in for service in the morning...when you tow, you have to get the transmission fluid changed out every 30,000 miles, and we've hit the mark on the CRV...bye for now...

Oh, Eldo, where are you today?

On the ferry to New York! We said goodbye to some new friends we met at the last moment in the Lake Champlain campground. We met them last night, our last night there. We got to see the inside of their diesel motor home, a Fleetwood Excursion, a 40 footer with a full roadside slide, which made us realize how small ours was, once we got back inside ours! That got us dreamin'... Those RVs with full slides are amazing in how roomy they are! Then we watched the most beautiful sunset set over our campground before we retired for the evening. This morning we decided to take the shortest ferry from Vermont to New York, so we wouldn't have to drive quite a ways (50-60 miles?) before finding a bridge to cross in the motor home. There are several points you can cross Lake Champlain from Vermont to New York. The ferry we took from Grand Isle runs 24 hours a day, and for the motor home it was $25.50 and $9.00 for me in my car. The ferry takes semis, 5th wheel campers, cars, walkers, anybody who wants to get to the other side of Lake Champlain in a jiffy! The ride took about 12 min. and now we are in New York. Tada! We need to get one of those USA maps where you paint in each state you visit. We're starting to cover a lot of states! We found a great campground called AuSable Pines in Peru, New York (where?--very near to Plattsburg, NY on the northeast side of the state) for $28.00 a night, a budget friendly price. We have full hookup (30 amp service which will run one air conditioner and multiple appliances), water, cable TV, free wi-fi, electric and sewer hookup. That is an EXCELLENT deal...we are happy that our phones work at our site, and internet connection is fairly zippy. We are close to Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, and a host of activities, hiking and all kinds of things, so we are going to stay a week. There are several campgrounds in the area, but this one was the most reasonably priced. Some of the campgrounds are really aging, but that's ok...we want to keep our price down for what we pay nightly or weekly, and that will enable us to do some great activities! I took the opportunity to go out grocery shopping on my own today, big mistake! GPS on my phone does not work here! I quickly got lost and went in circles, but managed to find a grocery AND my way back within a reasonable amount of time. Yay! If you were to know my family, we have something called the Baughman curse. We usually get lost when we travel. Myself, I can't find my way out of a paper bag, and I definitely have some kind of spatial problem or learning disability in finding my way around. Next time, I'll have Eldy go with me and we can get lost together! Makes you wonder what people used to do a long time ago when they'd get lost when there were no GPS systems and smart phones! (I did stop and ask directions twice, dear!) And yes, I'm old enough to remember pouring over paper maps and doing it the old fashioned way! See you tomorrow....