The LeadSled has a Nick Name...

The LeadSled has a "nick name" while it is on site: CLUB 92... And it has it's own website. Check it out!!!! (click on the title)

Club House "Rocks"

Well Club 92 is back in action and it's great to be back. At this time of year many beloved friends are in the park as well and every day brings a new adventure. This particular photo was after our now annual "fry all" where we fry anything and everything all day long. We started with 1 fryolator, then 2, now three. Thinking a forth is in order for this years festivities.
Sad thought is that we all depart shortly thereafter for the season has come to an end. The best memories are made with best Friends...

A Special Birthday for a Special LADY

June 14th is a special birthday for a Special Lady! Kath and I have always wanted to go to Hawaii. I was thinking of a place for us to spend her monumental birthday this year. Me and Jaimie thought long and hard and looked into many options. I took advantage of an opportunity of something on TV and in passing simply said "someday Kath, we will go to Hawaii." She looked at me and said, "I don't think so, I am too old now." Well that was the answer... So, me an J set our sights on Hawaii. We decided on Maui and began the task of making our plans. It's a secret!

On the Fast Track

Our travels have taken a different path. As most of you know I am driving as many miles as I can in a day to get myself home. The days are long and exhausting, but I am not complaining... I just need to get home to be with my family! These photos were taken as we were driving through Montana and North Dakota.

Capilano Suspension Bridge & Lighthouse Park

Today we went to the Capilano Suspension Bridge & Lighthouse Park in North Vancouver. First off this bridge is over 140 meters long and rocks like a small dingy on the Atlantic Ocean. If one gets sea-sick quick this is not the place to be. The more people that got on the thing, the more it rocked. J seemed OK with it and strutted as she always does, but me and Kath had a little bit more difficulty with it. The rest of the park was a series of canopy bridges that suspend from tree to tree. Next we went to Lighthouse Island. We had to walk a while and up big rocks to the viewing point, but the views were so worth it. You could see the city of Vancouver on the horizon and a huge snow covered mountain (Calgary) silhouettes behind it. Breathtaking.. Next we drove through Stanley Park and dropped Jaimie off with her bike as we toured. Tomorrow- Calgary

Vancouver British Columbia

Today we took public transport (bus, water taxi, etc) to spend the day in the city. The city is beautiful. We walked to the famous Canada Place on the harbor where the docs have been built to replicate a cruise ship/cool. A few blocks west were the 2010 Olympic Games Caldron. As I stood in front of this now quiet and visibly lifeless structure I could still feel the excitement that goes along with the games. Clearly an awe-inspiring experience. .. Afterward we picked up a water taxi to Granville Island. It is nestled under the Granville Street Bridge and offers much for such a small place. The island’s anchor is the Granville Island Public Market, where locals shop for fresh produce, baked goods, seafood, cheeses, meats and more: you get the idea. It was very similar to Pikes Place in Seattle. We also visited the Granville Island Brewery for a sample of the local brew before heading towards the beaches. Vancouver offers a great deal of culture and diversity. We will spend the day tomorrow at Stanley Park.

Zombie's, Trolls, & the Space Needle

Today we met up with Jaimie, Tal and Shannon in Seattle city proper. The agenda for the day was to visit the Zombie Parade where thousands of Zombies were marching down the streets. Oh, the sights.... These people spent much time and $$$ to make themselves up like this. Even the dogs had fake blood all over them. Scary yet amazing. We also saw a huge Troll under the bridge of a highway. Seattle has an ordinance where a certain percentage of road projects have to include art of some form. In this case it was a Troll under the bridge. A visit to the famous Space Needle was also in order. The day was clear and the time was just as the sun was beginning to go down. The reflections on the water along with the phenomenal views made the perfect end to a perfect day.

Seattle's Underground City & Pikes Place

Today we visited the underground-original city of Seattle before the big fire of 1889 that destroyed the lower half of the city. All in 12 hours. The tour offers a vague view of the cities history past and present. The tour is offered by a private tour company that pays the businesses above to tour below each business. It some areas it is a dumping ground for some of the remains of the fire before rebuilding to the next level (which they found was not successful either as it too was at or below sea level and the tides did what water does...) Anyways, there is said to be a ghost in the bank vault there, yet I didn't feel any creepier than usual in there.
We later went to Pikes Place. They were throwing huge fish around at the fish markets. An abundance of fresh flowers and vegetables were everywhere. Reminded me of Faneul Hall and Hay Market Square but on a much larger scale - Awesome.

Olympia NP & Port Angelis

Olympic National Park is where you will find Pacific Ocean beaches, rain forest valleys and glacier-capped peaks. We, however did not see much of this. The fog was so thick at one point that we couldn't see in front of us more than 10 feet. I am sure you will agree that this is a very dangerous situation when you don't know the roads. We drove as high as we could and turned around. In the photos you can see the density of the fog. All was not lost however as we were able to see some black tailed deer which are common to this mountain and got a cool shot of the fog at the opposite end of the mountain tunnel. When we got to the base of the mountain we drove through the ocean front town of Port Angelis. This reminded me of an ocean side drive on the Cape in off-season. Quaint and old.

Mount Rainier

Today we went to Mount Rainier. Though located in a state with two mountain ranges, (the Cascades and the Olympic Range), Mount Rainier is known by locals simply and affectionately as, "The Mountain."It is approx. 14,411 feet high and towers 8,000 feet above surrounding Cascades peaks, such a behemoth that it creates its own weather. The mountain and the surrounding area is Mount Rainier National Park. The mountain at its base covers 100 square miles and ranks fifth in height of all mountains in the contiguous U.S..
The landscape out here is so different than that of New England. Even with the Green and White Mountains that we are so used to. In one of these photos, Jaimie is standing on the 75 plus feet of snow to see Mount Hood to the left.
Tomorrow we head off to Olympic NP...

Mount Saint Helen's

Today we traveled out of Portland to Washington state. Our destination was Mount Saint Helen's. It is most famous for its catastrophic eruption in 1980, which was the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in the history of the United States. Many people, homes, Bridges, railways, etc. were destroyed. I am certain that we all remember this. The eruption caused a massive debris avalanche, reducing the elevation of the mountain's extensive summit and replacing it with a 1 mile wide horseshoe-shaped crater. As we drove up the mountain we hoped that the sky would clear so we would have a better view of this powerful mass, but visibility was limited. We saw an exhibition in the visiros center that really put hings in perspective for us.

Potland, Oregon

Well, I have to admit that throughout my life I have not really been much of a "city person" so when J said that we should experience Portland Oregon, I wasn't overly enthused. Much to my surprise this city has a very unique "style" and personalty. We toured the city first by "Lead Sled" and decided it best to rent a mini car to tour instead. Much better! we saw some sights to say the least. The city is awesome and quite pedestrian friendly. There were small cafes and street side entertainment everywhere. We pulled up a chair at a local cafe and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the street. There was an entertainer right in front of us. The weather was mid 70's and a light breeze with no humidity. Does it any better than this? After touring the city we ended up at the Dechutes Brewery where they had closed off the street for the night and had entertainment and a BBQ. Good times...
The next morning we visited a "Farmers Market" on the Courthouse common. We have never seen anything quite like this. It offered fresh vegetables as expected and much more: Porchetta sandwiches, Bakery products to die for, homemade candies, etc. we enjoyed the morning sun, ambiance and aromas and made our choices for purchase and moved on. We then experienced the Chinese Gardens which were smack dab in the middle of the city, crazy.

Washington Park Rose Gardens

As all of you know, I love a beautiful landscape. We visited the Washington Park Rose Gardens in Portland Oregon. I have seen many in my years but never have I seen such an an abundance of absolutely beautiful roses in my life. There were gardens of the old standby varieties and the experimental up-and-coming varieties. Acres of them... The sun was at about 4 PM so not exactly great for photos but the views and aroma were outstanding.

Canon Beach, Oregon

As we continue north on route 101 on the beautiful Oregon coast, we drove through many small villages. The scenery was breathtaking and we needed to stop to stretch our legs so we parked and walked around the town of Canon Beach. The beach is recognized by its well-known landmark, Haystack Rock. This igneous rock has an elevation of 235 feet, and is accessible at low tide. Near Haystack Rock are the Needles, two tall rocks rising straight out of the water.
Downtown Cannon Beach is filled with many small businesses and happily no chain stores like Walmart etc, are allowed.
We stayed the night just outside the town and will move on to Portland for Deschutes Brewery 22nd anniversary bash in the streets. Jaimie will need a GPS chip attached for sure or the address of our campground written in ink on her forehead.

Continuing on the Oregon Coast

The Oregon Coast has about 320 miles of sandy and rocky shoreline and contains a wealth of habitats such as sand dunes, coastal rocks and sand spits that provide breeding and haul-out sites for seals and sea lions. We stopped at Sea Cave on the coast where we took an elevator down to an area where we entered a cave. There were literally hundreds of sea lions perched on rocks, barking as if they were dogs. I have never seen so many of these in one place as we did here. After we left that area we walked a bit to another seaside area where the sea lions were basking in the sun awaiting for the tide to come in. They looked like a bunch of brown dogs lying in the sun.
The coastal views continue to awe us. Spending the night in Newport continuing up the coast in the AM.

Oregon to California Redwood Forest & Back to Oregon

After leaving this AM en route to the Oregon coast we decided to take a detour to California to see the Redwood Forest. A couple hundred miles verses a lifetime of visions on the TV doesn't seem to make a huge amount of difference. The Redwood Trees are unlike anything that you will ever see anywhere. These things are absolutely huge. See J in the picture... After driving to the forest we drove to the coast to pick up route 101 in California and Oregon. We traveled many miles on the Cali/Oregon coast in awe of the natural beauty that the good old of USA! The coastal route is everything that all boast about and much more. What an awesome experience...

Crater Lake National Park

After leaving an absolutely spectacular campsite (if one could call it that) last night we headed off toward Crater Lake National Park. It wasn't far from where we were (maybe 175 miles or so) but so worth it. I was shocked at the amount of snow that was there. It was higher than the motor home which is 12feet high! We traveled up the mountain and stopped to see the absolutely spectacular showing of nature from this volcano. Tomorrow we will detour towards the northern tip of CA where the largest redwood trees are in the US. After that... who knows...

Boise to Bend, Oregon

Not much to say about Boise... There was a waterfall in the center of the city and that's about it, so we moved on to Oregon. 400 miles later and lots of mountain views and then desert until we drove into Bend, Oregon. This town is one hopping place to be with many breweries, and an abundance of hiking and camping activities year round. It is a rebuilt mill town with something to offer everyone. We arrived late at our campsite and the owner was about to close for the night and offered to take us to town to visit a pub/brewery for dinner, etc. We quickly transformed ourselves and we were off to an evening in town. We visited two breweries that were awesome: DESCHUTES and McMenamin's Old Saint Frances Pub. Tomorrow we head toward Crater Lake. Stay tuned-

Grand Tetons

The Grand Tetons are located in northwestern Wyoming, The landscape is spectacular and the view is rich with majestic mountains, pristine lakes and extraordinary wildlife. The abrupt vertical rise of the jagged Teton Range contrasts with the horizontal sage-covered valley and glacial clear lakes at their base, creating world-renowned scenery that is only appreciated if seen in person. I had no idea... It is just as you see on postcards. We saw more animals in Yellowstone NP, but the Tetons were absolutely awesome non-the-less. You be the judge...

OLD Faithful

Oh ya, can we say that this is awesome? Yup, it is. We arrived to see the predictable and spectacular view of the famous geyser. Me, Kath and J sat and waited, and it was obviously going to do some sort of regurgitation at some point, but when was not as predicable as they say. While we were waiting a Bison just moseyed on through the area as if we weren't even there. They are humongous and, in my opinion, ugly! Spectacular to see though! After driving through Yellowstone for a couple days (with a rental car and J at the wheel) Jaimie is less than impressed with these enormous animals. They often parade down the streets and block traffic for hours. The bears were less friendly but an awesome sight. We saw: Black Bear, Elk, Wolf, Bison, American White Pelicans, Bald Eagles, Trumpeter Swans, Mule Deer and Moose. There are obviously more animals in there than that, but that is what we saw. I love nature and this park was absolutely wonderful. The high altitude was a bit challenging but worth the discomfort.

Yellowstone National Park

For as many years as I can remember, I have always wanted to see the infamous Yellowstone National Park. Well today the dream became a reality. After a stop at the "Old West" type town of Cody (thanks Nanna Flash). Wild Bill Cody was well know in my generations a a gun slinging cowboy. The Irma Hotel in Cody was just that... A walk back n time. Due to the bad weather we opted to tour the hotel/cafe. Without disappointment I might add. The original bar is an extensive cherry wood bar donated by Queen Elizabeth. The place was packed at 11:50 AM. We were going to have lunch on the outside porch but the weather was like something out of the "worst of the weather channel".
We next traveled to Yellowstone: this park is enormous and absolutely naturally beautiful. We saw Bear, Moose, and a rare sighting of white Pelicans. We will return to the park tomorrow...

Rushmore, Custer, Crazy Horse, & Wind Caves

We have all seen the photos of Mount Rushmore: Well the actual sculpture is a spectacular display of what man can do with a few basic tools. You be the judge... Next we move on to Crazy Horse. This is a partially completed monument carved into the mountain that was less than impressive. Possibly when it is finished, but not a place i would recommend going to for a long time. Next was Custer State forest. The experience of driving through this wonderland of nature can only be felt on a personal level. I love nature so it was an absolutely awesome sight. We saw much wildlife simply driving through the park. For example: Bison, bighorn sheep, deer, pronghorn, prairie dogs, and burrows. Many of which we were able to stop at roads side and see. As we were leaving the park one of the Bison actually was close to the exit. I got out to take a picture, of course, and the humongous thing started to quickly move towards me. RUN!!!!
Nature is so awesome....
The Wind Caves were deep and unique. They actually are an architecture that is only found in these caves called box-wood. It has a honey comb like texture to it. Very different...
Off to Coty Wyoming tomorrow, stay tuned

Badlands National Park, SD

Well, all I can say is that this great country of ours never ceases to amaze me. We visited the Badlands today where people are drawn to its rugged beauty. The park’s 244,000 acres protect an expanse of mixed-grass prairie where we saw bison, bighorn sheep, deer, pronghorn, and prairie dogs. The most impressive was the extensive array of formations in which we were able to view and walk through.

Green Bay Packers and Wisconcin

Today was a day of many miles of travel. Although we drove many miles we were able to visit the famous Green Bay Packers Stadium and take a tour. The tour was awesome and left us with a new founded respect for the sport of football. After visiting the stadium and the state of Wisconsin, it was quite obvious that the state was dedicated to "CHEESE". We will pursue the cheese option in the coming day as we continue across the state.

The Locks of Lake Superior

Since I was an adolescent I have wanted to revisit the locks of the mighty Great Lakes. A couple of years ago me and Kath took a trip to the "Finger Lakes" and attempted to see the locks while we were there. Sad to say, we were unsuccessful.
On a good note, we were able to visit the Soo Locks from Lake Superior to Lake Huron this afternoon and a ship was ready to enter the locks. What a great site to see technology in a rudimentary way be so successful.

Mackinack Island

After a day of travel we were able to get a campsite early enough to be able to get the ferry to Mackinac Island where we spent the afternoon in yesteryear. This is an island that has no cars or motor vehicles, only horse drawn buggies. We toured the small 8 mile island via buggy while "J" rode her bike around the island. The most prevalent highlight is their famous Mackinac Fudge. This is also found on our local Islands, the Vineyard and Nantucket. We had an awesome experience and loved every minute.

A Day in the Double D's: Detroit/Dearborn

OK, you all know that I have owned a GM vehicle for as long as I can remember. As soon as we arrived in Detroit the GM building was obvious yet uninviting. I expected it to be somewhat more spectacular (a little disappointing) So, we took some photos and moved on. We had to go to the Hard Rock of course and then to the famous Coney Island. The experience was what one expects from a Coney Island, unique and memorable.
After visiting the city proper we drove west to the Heidelberg Project. OMG what can I say... this was shocking to say the least. See for yourself.
MOTOWN was absolutely awesome as expected. Such history and to be able to experience the same steps as so many awesome entertainers was awe inspiring.
The last stop for the day was the Ford Museum. As expected this area was huge and included so many exhibits in motor vehicle changes. I would have loved to have seen the factory tour, but we had missed the last one of the day. Ford has a huge presence here and it is obvious in all aspects of the area, both financially, socially, and physically. I think the most humbling exhibit was the exhibit of the car that the late John F. Kennedy was shot in. Sad...

Spectacular Niagara

Our first night was spent in spectacular Niagara Falls. If any of you have been here before you know that pictures do not do it justice.
As we approached the border of Canada and the US (of which we had an extensive wait) we had the time on the bridge to get some photos that only depict the falls in the end of the days light. Spectacular... Anyways, after we spent the night just over the border, we arrived at the falls in the early AM to get a rare view of the falls in the morning light. The only word I can use is simply awesome...

The Lead Sled is about to Roll!!!

OK, it's been way to long since the Lead Sled was on a "road trip" so we are about to embark upon our next adventure across the country. A few years ago we went cross country and "J" flew out to Phoenix to meet us. This time J will be joining us for the entire trip.
The last time me and Kath traveled approximately 10,000 miles and saw many fantastic and remarkable sights along the way. This time we hope to see the high side of the country, Vancouver and Alaska. We shall see... Stay tuned for updates.
~L

Season's End

The camping season may be over, but the memories are still very fresh in my mind.
The last day of the last week of seasonal camping at Scusset is a day of sadness. We said goodbye to many good friends.
As we took a final walk down the canal road and through the campground there was but only a few campers in view packing up for their final departure as well. The vivid sadness in the air is so unassuming. We have never seen the campground so empty and quiet... So from me and Kath and the clubhouse at Club 92, we wish you all the best of the upcoming holiday season and look forward to seeing you all soon!

Hendricks Head Lighthouse

Undeniable one of my most favorite lighthouses.
Located at the mouth of the Sheepscot River, near the part of Southport Island now known as Cozy Harbor and six miles from Boothbay Harbor. Every year when me and Kath go to Boothbay we have to take a trip to see this lighthouse. No matter how many times I have seen it, it always looks different. Maybe it's the light, or perhaps the level of the tide... It is picturesque, quiet, and a very relaxing place to just sit and listen to the slapping of the water against the rocks or watch the passing sailboats as they gracefully slip past us.

Beach, Drinks, Sunset

After an awesome tour of Florida Inter-Coastal waterways and some of the Florida's best beaches, we settled in at Palm Shores for dinner and drinks beach side while we awaited the "Lucky Old Sun" to set. Although this was not one of it's better debut's, it was awesome just the same. The music, ambiance and food was great! Lot's of love and lot's of laughs!
This is exactly what me and Kath spend big $$$ for every year in the Caribbean. We just love this. The experience is forever etched in our memories! Thanks Bob and Lou!!!

A Grand Entrance

How can we explain what happened today? After driving several hours past the Glades, we finally arrived at our destination. We checked in at the campground and quickly departed without setting up camp as we were en route to our long lost friends house. We arrived there only to find that they live in a gated community. The attendant at the gate did not want us to go in there, but after several minutes and a line of cars behind us and allot of frustration, they really did not know what to do with us... so, when they tried to move some cars around so they could go around us, and finally opened the gate for them, I took the opportunity and blew the gate! I am in... now, find the house. As we were driving through the community, I could see what appeared to be Lou's car in my mirror. When we got close to her house and parked and she parked across from us it was obvious that it was her. Now what? She got out of her car and looked perplexedly at the coach in front of her but continued about her business. Me and Kath got out our Tropical Glasses and opened the door right in front of her. She looked, and the element of surprise had been met! Awesome! We then went around back to surprise Bob and Schnoops... I wasn't sure that MY DEAR FURY FRIEND WOULD REMEMBER ME, but she did! It was so nice to be there, seeing for ourselves that they were OK. We spent a few hours catching up and laughing together as we always do, before Bob kindly escorted us back to camp for the evening, A few social cocktails and the night was sadly over. We have sooo missed them and are looking forward to spending a few more hours catching up on the last years events!

Everglades NP

How can one ever describe the expansive and natural beauty of the Everglades? This is definitely something that one has to experience to appreciate. Being that it is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States. There are rare and endangered species of wildlife everywhere. Although we were only able to see a few by car we were abundantly aware that they were there, especially the alligators. We stopped at the end of the glades to take an air boat ride and as we were waiting for the boat, I turned my head and there was a gator looking right at me! I was not more than 4 feet away. I thought because it didn't move, it may have been a fake, but careful observation of this massive beast revealed his nostrils moving. REAL! OK, I was behind a fence so I felt relatively safe. Then three more showed up. I then felt as if I was their dinner waiting to be attacked. RUN!

North Carolina & Outter Banks

I think some the most beautiful areas of the USA are our Federal Parks and National Seashores. We departed early again today en route to Ocracoke Island and Cedar Islands (ferries). Ocracoke reminded us so much of Martha's Vineyard without the "attitude" and Cedar Island was absolutely naturally beautiful. This is also the island where the "wild horses" were known to run the beaches. They have been contained on a 100 acre reserve ever since the roads were built in late 1959. We considered staying the night on Ocracoke but all of the campgrounds were federal and we did not make any ICE for the night... So, off to Cedar Island where we were able to get a campsite in a marina for the night. The island is well known for it's fishing industry. The sounds and smells of the ocean are welcoming and relaxing.

Chesapeake Bay & Cape Hatteras

Day two was a beautiful trip. We traveled over the Chesapeake Bay bridge of approx 23 miles. The day was beautiful and the ocean was calm. We were in search of Cape Hatteras Light. The lighthouse is the tallest in the nation and the most famous symbol of North Carolina. We got there at sunset hence able to view it in a rare light.
Me & Kath have seen this light before, but it had just been moved to it's new location and incomplete. The sun light setting on the west side of it also brings out a unique beauty.

First Day

For those of you that get a laugh at the things that me and Kath do, I will try to update as often as I can -
First day started by us having to return to both of our houses to get stuff that we forgot. Kath's medicine and my extra set of keys. So after we retrieved our "stuff" we headed for the pike.
Our first day we spent following the coast(that's our goal here)to Cape May where we got the ferry to Delaware. This took some time, and a few more gray hairs for me as I drove onto what seemed to be a "small" ferry. Upon leaving the ferry we checked out the area a bit and found a state campground in which we set ourselves up for the night. This is where it gets interesting... Before I start, you have to understand that we were very limited to our choices as it was late. OK, we registered, got a site and then after trying to find the electrical box that I found out didn't exist, set up camp for dry camping. This is really not a problem because we are self contained and have enough battery backup to keep us going for the night. The night was quiet and uneventful until the sun came up. I went to go out of the MH to check out the area only to find out that the stairs did not go out. Strange... I know what causes this. Battery failure. So, I think to myself,we have two brand new ones under there. OK, now what? It didn't take time to realize that the engine battery was the problem. This shouldn't happen, I said to myself... Well, it did because we had the electric cooler plugged in all night. OK, figured that out. Get the room in and ready to move, turned the key: dead. What the F...???? Had to get out the battery charger, put an extension cord through the window, start the generator, and hope the hell that works. Did I mention the keys issue? Well the keys that I had left at home had the engine key on it so it was really great that we went back to get them. Got the coach going and we were off for the day.
Oh, one of the most distressing issues was the inability to make ice in the ice maker. Thank God for generators.

Summer Travel Preparation

Well, it's officially summer as of this weekend and the GD heat is still on in the house and the rain keeps coming down. Me and Kath decided that we should take a trip to, where else, but find the sun! We are preparing to depart very soon. So stay tuned!
- L

"Marine One"

Dwight Eisenhower was the first President to fly on Marine One, in 1957, while on vacation in Rhode Island. Soon after, Marine and Army aviators were landing on the South Lawn of the White House for regular lifts, linking up with Air Force One.
Marine One's distinctive paint job dates back to the Eisenhower Administration. At the time, the helicopters did not have air conditioning, so to make the cabin more comfortable for the President, the Marines painted the top of the aircraft white to deflect sunlight.
The other picture is of "THE FIRST LADY" in front of Marine One...