We awoke bright and early June 30th. It was time to go. The car was mostly packed from the night before so we just had a few things to throw in the back. Our dogs were excited. They knew something was up, but what they didn’t know was their status with the plan. I believe they know someone is going somewhere when they see suitcases being packed. We have had to leave them at home with someone a couple of times for short periods but we don’t like doing it. Our little male dog is getting older and is in every sense of the word, a lap dog. Our female dog is more energetic and likes to be on the go. Our cats, on the other hand, could care less what we do. I think they believe it is our loss if we are gone from them. Plus, as long as someone takes care of their needs they are happy, and whatever alliances cats are capable of, changes quickly.

So the dogs are a mixture of anxiety and excitement as we prepare to leave. When we finally let them out the door they know they are going and head straight for the car. We pile in and take off.

The car we are in is a Nissan Pathfinder. It is one of the older models that are squarish in shape. We had it serviced and it is ready for the road. This model has a good amount of room and as we have traveled in it before, we are good at packing and setting it up. Suitcases, bags, and stuff we will not need during the day go into the way back. Cooler, maps, food and dogs with their beds and a toy in the back seat; and us in the front. Our plan is for the dogs to be comfortable and lounge in the back seat for the trip. This is of course not how it works. We are barely started and they are in Saskia’s lap. We have tried several things to keep them in the back but none have worked. Our little girl, Cookie, always figures a way around them and is the front pretty quickly. I guess we could tie them to the seat but we just can’t seem to bring ourselves to do that.

The weather is good and we make excellent time. We stop primarily for gas, to stretch our legs and of course, let the dogs out. Our first day is just driving. We have a destination on our trip kit but decide to put on a few extra miles. The first stop we really want to make is in the Adirondacks. I’m not sure why we chose them other than the relationship of the location to national parks. 

Saskia and I go back together for 32 years so we know each other pretty well. We had a bit of excitement going on so we talk a lot and pointed stuff out to each other that we notice along the way. I might add that we are comfortable together in silence as well. We passed through North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and decided to stop in Pennsylvania for the night. Considering that we had a month long trip planned, we only had one hotel booked in advance, and that was in Alberta, Canada. So, for each leg of the journey, Saskia would get on the iPad and find us a place to stay. Having two dogs made it a little more challenging but she is a master at finding the best accommodations and always found us a spot. On our first night away we found ourselves at a Red Roof Inn outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Truthfully I don’t remember much about it beyond the fact that it had a bed and a shower. Saskia remembers it as being a litte stinky.

The next morning we had their courtesy breakfast and hit the road. During the trip, we established the fact that the dogs love bacon for breakfast, so with us being vegetarians, they looked forward to bacon in the mornings. We continued through Pennsylvania, passed through New Jersey and into New York. I like passing over state lines. They are like milestones. They signify movement and marks of achievement. I get a sense of accomplishment as well. But they also bring questions to my mind. How was it decided that the line would be exactly here? What if the speed limit changes when you cross the line and you get stopped for speeding before you see the sign? What kind of problems do cities that straddle a state line have? How about people who own a business or property divided by a state line? And, another thing I find strange is the mandatory truck weigh stations before exiting and after entering a new state. So many of them are closed. How can they be mandatory and yet be closed? Maybe technological advances are making them irrelevant, who knows? As you can see I spend a great deal of time in profound and deep thought when I travel.

The weather continued to favor us and the traffic was not bad, perhaps because it was Sunday. We followed a similar routine as the day before and found ourselves entering the mountains early in the day. Saskia was able to find us a place for the evening, off the interstate in Wilmington, New York.

We had been on main roads since leaving home but found ourselves turning off of I-87 onto US 9. The ride took us through mountains which appeared to look a lot like where we lived; so-much-so, I thought some of the places looked familiar. Before long we arrived in the town of Wilmington. 

As we drove through looking for our place it was hard to determine the size of the town. It was somewhat spread out, not tall and did not seem to busy. We found our spot and as Saskia checked in I waited with the dogs. Our dogs can get excitable and noisy. I think that at each check-in on the trip we had a small concern that our dogs would get us either turned away or thrown out. Neither of these happened although we did have a couple of interesting experiences. After securing a room, we began to unload the car. Our previous travels were good learning experiences for what to take and how to pack the car. During the month we became expert in what to take out for each stop. Since this was a one night stay we needed only the essentials. 

With our stuff in the room, we found a trail relatively close for us to hike. The trail led to a pond at the three-mile mark and a waterfall at the six-mile mark. We didn’t expect to reach either but wanted to stretch our legs, exercise the dogs and relax. The trail was nice and not very difficult. We did encounter a few trees that were down across the path, but for the most part, it was a nice walk. The air was a true pleasure, a clean and fresh pine scent.

This forest seemed very much like the ones were we live. The main differences were the trees. At home, most of the trees have broad leaves but most of the ones we saw here were of the narrow, needle type. A stream accompanied us as we walked and the melody it played was a similar tune to the ones we hear in North Carolina. After a couple of miles in we turned back. We were tired and one of our dogs has trouble with the heat and a little trouble breathing.

On the way back we stopped at a store that had a sandwich deli and got stuff for dinner. This became our habit for most of the month. It is not easy to find places to eat with two dogs and we were not comfortable leaving them in the room to long; they can be loud.

While it was still light I went to take some pictures. A block or so from where we were staying was a bridge which crosses the West Branch Ausable River. The view and surrounding river access allowed me plenty of opportunities to use my camera. The view from the bridge to the Southwest was gorgeous. The river was calm with a couple fishing from a canoe and another person fishing from a kayak. But the main sight was the mountain off in the distance. It was impressive. While I am not positive, I believe this to be Whiteface Mountain. The river was bordered by trees and their reflection along with that of the mountain gave a sense of calm permanence, both I understand to be an illusion.

On the other side of the bridge were signs and artifacts, reminders of the 1980 Winter Olympic Games. I tried to imagine this seemingly sleepy little town the scene of the games. The athletes with their teams, the press and equipment necessary to cover such an event, the audiences fortunate enough to see the events and of course all the vendors who come to sell merchandise. In my mind it is not possible and yet I know it happened.

And I must not forget the sculptures at the beginning of the bridge. They were of huge fish and the lure needed to reel them to shore or boat. By the size of these, fishing here must be awesome for those who love the sport.

Lastly, I must mention the place where we stayed, the Cadence Lodge at Whiteface. It was a quiet place that seemed to cater to outdoors folks. The room was spacious and nice. There was a common area on the property that appeared to get a lot of use. We rested well and were off the next morning.