Vacation Part 2

I realized I forgot to give vacation dates on the first post, so - we left on Sunday Aug. 9 and returned Thursday Aug 13.

Monday morning - Rusty woke up around 6. Not unusual. I did not get much sleep the first night, also not unusual, as the first night of camping you hear every little noise. So Rusty wakes up. I had realized that I forgot to bring his 'good' bottle the night before, but figured, oh well, I have the juice bottle (that he doesn't like AT ALL in the morning I soon found out.) . So up we get to start breakfast and get him something to eat so he doesn't wake up everyone. Went to the car and found a notice from the park ranger about needing to get a second car permit for the camp site. No big deal. Knew we needed one but we got in after the office closed the night before so didn't worry about it. After everyone was up and going, we decided that we were just going to hang around the campground for the day - take the boats out on the lake, spend time at the beach, and finish settling in. Mark and I take the truck up to the office to get the second permits, get gas, and go explore possible canoe routes.

A. In NY second car permits are free....in PA second car permits are $4 per night. Car gets parked in free parking at entrance of campground for the rest of the stay.
B. PA roads are NOT labeled on our map - just rte numbers.
C. PA roads are NOT labeled at intersections...just take a guess and see where you end up!
D. The light at the 4 way just down the road takes about 3 minutes to change, and there is not much traffic.

So off we go to check out creeks. The outlet from the lake is a joke...I think there is more water running down our driveway on a dry day. The creek we were hoping for is a possibility with some portaging. As we try to follow it on the road we encounter the whole no road labeling issue :(and my wonderful, thoughtful, understanding husband once again laughs at the fact that I have to turn the map as the roads turn or I have trouble knowing if we should turn left or right. ) We also realize that there are many roads with the same name in the same area that do not connect to each other at any point.
Back to the campground we go. (what went on while we were gone, no idea.)
Packed everyone off to the beach - Katie, kelly, and Rusty in the car with mom - everyone else to the boat dock to take the boats around the penninsula to the beach. We dropped the kids of at the beach with Grandma. Shawn, Teressa, and Troy took the canoe, Mark and I took the kayaks and off we went across the lake and up the inlet as far as we could go. Beautiful. I didn't have my camera due to not expecting to do all we did. The inlet comes down into a marshy area before coming under the bridge into the lake. There are roosts for bald eagles (which we saw one of gliding overhead) mini docks built for turtles. All sorts of waterlilies and fish swimming around. Up the creek we went. Just a peaceful out of the way place. Teressa and I decided that we had better head back as Mom had been with the kids for quite awhile and it was getting to be a hot day. Mark got in the canoe and Teressa got in his kayak and back we headed as THE MEN continued on. Got back and relieved Mom. Swam all afternoon with the kids, and let the boys take the kayaks for a spin around the area.
The swim area was so nice. The drop off into the lake was really gradual, so it went from wading deep to 5 foot at deepest. Great for Kate and Kelly as they got to play in quite a large area and get confindent in the water.
The awesome thing was : Mark
A. wore shorts (never happens)
B. WENT SWIMMING!!!!!! (REALLY NEVER HAPPENS!)
But the day was hot, and the water was warm and we were on vacation.

All was going well. We headed back to the sites for supper and it was so hot and humid, we decided to pile the kids in the back of the truck for a swim before bed. Timing bad. Mark had just pulled out and headed around the loop when the campground grumpy host came down our way. This guy was an old geezer set out to destroy everyone's fun. Did you know that
A. it is illegal for anyone under 18 to ride in back of truck in PA (last we knew it was still legal)
B. 'these roads are just like being out on state roads. you follow the same laws. seatbelts and all'
so. Anyway, our (Mom's and my) word was not good enough for him. He had to follow Mark all the way to the beach and yell at him there. And not only that, but he had to stay there and make sure we didn't let them ride in the back on the way back to the site (after 1/2 hr he got tired and went to his site, but made sure he was out there when we went by).
Now, not only all this, but there are all sorts of one way roads around. I drove down to the beach and found out that you had better not go the wrong way to the beach. Grrrr. Grumpy old geezer to the front. I'm not exagerating. I'm pretty good at dealing with people like this, but this guy. Never.
Now as all this was going on, our new neighbors were moving in. Loud truck. Starter going bad. Gets up at 4 am to go to work. Yeah.
Stay tuned. :)

(check out picture via facebook - under: day 2 vacation)

Vacation

It happens every year. You plan a trip and something goes not according to plan. 2 yrs ago, the altenator on my brother's truck went on his way up here and the morning was spent hunting down parts and fixing it. Last year, Mark's grandpa took a big down turn in the hospital making us rethink if we were even going to go or not. This year: Saturday - Shawn was to bring the trailer used to haul canoe/kayaks up so we could load them. His plans didn't work and he was unable to get up here. That night Mark and Dad went up to the lake and picked up the boats in the back of the truck. Sunday morn: packed everything in the car and around the boats in the back of the truck. Cooler precariously perched in the canoe, me following behind in the car watching it tip with every turn, praying against rain (and police patrols). Get to church, and find out that I should have checked my email earlier in the week as they needed me in the preschool class during church! Get on the road again, still praying, get to Shawn's and get things re-loaded. Stop at McDonald's in Wysox for lunch and finally get on the road for real. Lost Shawn and Teressa at light right at the plaza. Soooo...they are grown ups and can find their own way. So off we go: Me in the car in the lead (knowing where we are going to a point, but without a knowledgeable map reader or the gps guide), Mom behind, following wherever I go, and Mark bringing up the rear in the truck w/ trailer w/ the gps and a knowledgeable map reader but no map. All is well. Heading down 220 to 405. All is fine until we get to 180 where we want to go east, but I head us west. We get over to Williamsport and are trying to find 322/22. Yeah. Not happening because I took us the wrong way!!! Oh. Well. Get on 15/11 south and I'm back to knowing where I am going. We had to take a potty break. Get back on the road quickly and there is a nasty looking storm heading our way. UNDERSTATEMENT. We went through a TORNADO!!! What an experience. Mark and Troy saw the swirl beside us at one point. We just kept on driving. All of a sudden we come upon a tree in the road. Swerve. and then the TREE IN THE ROAD!!! A tree had fallen across Rte 15. All 4 lanes of traffic. South bound (us) going over on north bound shoulder to get around it. Mark is a bit behind Mom and I (somehow), so we get around the tree and pull off at a safe place to wait. He gets to watch them pull it out of the way (after he offered to drop the trailer and hook up the winch on the front of the truck) He gets through, we get going again and now he is in the lead. Brady has to go to the bathroom. Mom and I stop. Mark keeps going. I don't have a map (gave it to Mark at the last bathroom stop) and he is now way ahead of us. My cell phone dies. Walkie-talkie already dead. Thankfully Kennadi has a phone. So now we are relying on Mark giving us directions through Harrisburg via cell phone. Shawn calls (since he and Teressa got way behind us to begin with, they went the right way and are already at the camp ground!!) Anyways, the spots we have reserved are not good. No place to put the tents. All paved. Not happy. So at 10 min to the office closing, they work it out with the registration girl to get us a couple new spots. Turn out they are much better all around. We finally make it to the camp ground and set up for the night. Dark comes way to fast and my promise of going to the beach not happening (although it was not a promise to begin with just wishfull thinking on all our parts.) Kids don't want to go to sleep - not tired, too hot, too close to each other. Not a great night of sleep, but we are here and tomorrow is a new day (and a new blog!)