Prufrock had been under wraps from a December trip in Virginia. But no longer. The 2024 exploration season has begun.
Winterization is surely easier in Maryland than in many other places, and ours went smoothly. We purged all the water and bought a cover. We figured out how to install the cover and tie it down. It stayed on and the white top panel let in enough light to keep the batteries charged.
Our first trip of 2024 got underway at the end of April. We had a time-certain destination and use: to use our camper as a hotel on the eve of a very cool half-marathon on the Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire on May 5. The shuttle buses to the start leave at about 4 a.m., so we are providing our own lodging nearby.
To get there from Maryland, we chose a route we don’t use often: north along the Hudson River, to try to see a little of the Adirondacks. We experimented with a ferry from New York to Vermont, and then headed into New Hampshire.
In truth we only skirted the Adirondack park, and hope to get back soon for more exploration.
Our first stop was a leg-stretch in Highland, NY, to cross what is billed as the longest elevated pedestrian bridge in the world, the Walkway over the Hudson, connecting Highland on the west with Poughkeepsie NY on the east bank. It was a windy day to be at 200 feet over the river; we did not descend into Poughkeepsie – just scanned the city from up high.
We then drove just a couple of miles north to a Harvest Host location, the Hudson House and Distillery – a lovely event space overlooking the river that agreed to let us camp in their gravel lot for the night. We ate dinner on the sun porch of an historic building built as a private home and which later became a monastery. We thought we were up for hanging around for the 80s-90s dance party, but in fact we weren’t. We stayed true to form and went to sleep on the early side.
Morning coffee with a river view was grand. We briefly feared we were locked in the lot by a wire cable, but the other RV owner parked in the lot gave us the lockbox code to retrieve a padlock key. Not sure why we never received that.
We continued the drive north, with an afternoon stop in Saratoga Springs. We parked at the state park that is the location of many of the springs, and logged a five-mile run along park trails. We read up on the history of chicanery and exploitation that led to a state prohibition on reclaiming spring water in the early 20th century, and led to the preservation of a park.
We ate lunch in downtown Saratoga Springs but didn’t pick the best spot. But we marveled at how busy and vibrant the downtown is.
Our destination for the night was even further north in the Adirondacks. Plattsburgh, NY is located on the western shore of Lake Champlain, and boasts an important military history: troops there thwarted a British fleet from sailing down the Hudson in 1814, and likely saved the republic as the War of 1812 soon ended.
There’s still a military presence, and we parked along a stone barracks building that is now home to Valcour Brewing – another Harvest Host location. It was one of the best, easiest stays we’ve had: we grabbed one of five flat grassy parking places with picnic tables, turned off the ignition and walked inside for some tasty chicken wings and salad and cold beer.
After dinner, we strolled along the banks of Champlain for a bit before settling in for a chilly late-April night.
Logistics
We grappled with what to do about storage, and explored a few options, We settled on a CubeSmart facility in Frederick, about a 35 minute drive from our house. Not super close, but it is a very new facility, very safe, and easy-on easy-off the highway. Not ideal but we don’t regret it. The teaser rate jumped a bit after a few months; can’t say I’m surprised.
We also grappled with covered spot or uncovered. We went for outdoors, bought a cover and were totally fine with that decision for this season.
While Prufrock was under wraps, I noticed an error message on the Truma Combi panel during a check-in visit. I was hoping it might go away, but it didn’t. The error code indicted a problem with the interior temperature sensor. It had popped up briefly before. This time, the furnace wouldn’t turn on at all, so no heat or hot water. Temps were in the 40s, so I was not thrilled at the minor discomfort. I put calls in to Happier Camper and to Truma on the Friday before our departure, but no quick fixes worked.
Look for an update at the end of the next blog post.
