Locust lake State Park, PA

A short catch up....I spent a night and some hours with our friends Joven and Sally who live near Montpelier, VT. A very nice quiet visit and dinner and a chance to see Joven's latest house renovation on a house they bought in Montpelier...they will sell it when done. They actually make their living as landlords of a few buildings there and in Mexico.

Then off down Vermont Rt.100, a local two lane that runs through my old town of Weston. I spent the day reminiscing and sort of bumming on the effects of "progress" and getting very philosophical about the demise of culture brought about by widening and building roads. I ended up in East Dorset, VT at the Wilson House, a now-restored hotel once lived in by Bill Wilson (one of the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous) as a child. It is now a not for profit foundation and run as a bed and breakfast with groups bringing AA meetings there every day. What a joy to attend AA and Alanon meetings there that night and meet a fella that was a couple of years behind me at Burr and Burton Seminary in Manchester Center.

I camped out at the Emerald Lake State campground and the next day drove around Manchester and visited my old high school. I went in and looked through the class of '62 yearbook and thought some about old schoolmates...I did not graduate there and only attended for half my sophomore and my junior years so did not have a long history with it. It is huge now with several large stone buildings built since I went there. It is also Bill Wilson's alma mater. Apparently a very highly ranked semi-private school with 84%+ graduates attending college. I was not one of their golden boys...that's for sure...

I then drove down the Hudson River in NY for a while, marveling at all the closed and abandoned mills and factories. Pretty much a marathon drive from there on as camping has gotten way out of hand price-wise...$23 + for state parks and as high as $33 for a space in a private campground. For me that takes away any thoughts of camping for a few days in one spot and enjoying the woods...I am actually very much missing the west at this point and am having a hard time staying in the present and enjoying where I am....No wonder there are so few campgrounds out here...who can support those costs? I can say for sure that I have no plans for any more camping trips out east.

Soon to be visiting a sidecar shop in Middlebury and then a visit with twokniveskate at the Muddy Run Rondy she goes to and then south again...

Until later,
Many Wheels