ÿþ<html> <head> <title>Jim & Sim's Great Adventure</title> </head> <body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <center> <table width=750 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0> <tr> <td colspan=6> <center> <img src="header6.jpg" width=750 height=250 alt="Jim & Sim"> </center> </td></tr> <tr> <td> <a href="index.htm"><img src="1.gif" border=0></a> </td> <td> <a href="who.htm"><img src="2.gif" border=0></a> </td> <td> <a href="travelogue.htm"><img src="3.gif" border=0></a> </td> <td> <a href="photos.htm"><img src="4.gif" border=0></a> </td> <td> <a href="links.htm"><img src="5.gif" border=0></a> </td> <td> <a href="mailto:jimandsim@gmail.com"><img src="6.gif" border=0></a> </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan=6> <font face="comic sans ms, arial, verdana" size=2> <br><br> <blockquote> <b><u>Jul 1  7 (7 nights, West River, NJ  Sea Pirate Campground)</u></b><br> We needed to go to the grocery store, so we headed off to find a big store. We found an ACME. Never been in one of those before. We will have to get another discount card from them I suppose. I am running out of room on my key-ring for club cards. We currently have: Save On More, Fry's Club, Kroger, City Market, Fred Meyer, Albertsons, Winn Dixie, Jewel Osco, Shop Rite, Safeway and now Acme. We shopped, spent $95. and once again were shocked at how much everything is going up in price. <P> <b><u>Jul 2</u></b><br> We have dental appointments today to have our teeth cleaned. We don't have dental insurance, so this is an out of pocket expense. When I made the appointment and asked the cost, the receptionist said $150. each, which included $95. for the cleaning and $55. for the exam. I tried to forgo the exam but she said it is mandatory. <P> We arrived at 8:45 for our 9:00 appointment but they had us down for 9:30. We waited anyway and were out of there by 10:45 feeling really good about our clean teeth. They gave us a break on the bill and only charged us $110 ea. The Dr. says I have a broken filling that needs attention. I don't know yet if we are going to be able to stay in the Sea Pirate Campground over the 4th. The two times we have asked about staying longer they have insisted that they are full and have no room for us. I made an appointment to have my filling fixed next week just in case we can stay somewhere in the area. <P> When we got back to the campground we went to the office again to ask about space for us over the weekend. With a little persuasion, the staff found us a spot in the overflow area. We can stay as long as we want now. <P> We moved the coach over to our new spot that evening. We are out in the open now instead of under the trees, and we have no cable. I tried to get some over the air channels but they are just too fuzzy to try to watch. However, on the bright side, we got the nicest spot in the overflow area with a view of the lake. <P> <b><u>Jul 3</u></b><br> <img src="july1.jpg" width=330 height=250 align=right vspace=5 hspace=10> We decided to go to the beach today. We stopped in the campground office and picked up a couple of Beach Badges. We found out that they are only good at certain beaches so we have to drive south when we get out to the outer bank and pass 38th St, before we are in  our beach badge jurisdiction. We spent about 3 hours at the beach. The lifeguards show up around 10:00 and not long after that a couple of girls came down the beach and asked to see our badges. I felt like saying  Badges, we don't need no stinking badges . That is a line from a movie whose title I don't recall, but I think it was one of Cheech and Chongs movies. <P> We left the beach to go find some lunch and ended up at the Blue Water Cafe. The parking lot was half full of cars, and that is a good sign for us. Sim had Clam Chowder that was a bit too salty for me and a salad. I had a Chicken Quesadilla in a Vegetable Tortilla that was excellent. $25. for lunch. A bit pricey, oh well, we are at the seashore in New Jersey. <P> <img src="july2.jpg" width=330 height=325 align=left vspace=5 hspace=10> Next we drove to the north end of the beach to the Barnegat Lighthouse. This is the third lighthouse at this same location. The other two fell in the water. Apparently the entrance to the harbor used shift constantly and the ground would be eroded to the point that the first two lighthouses succumbed to the seas erosion. We paid $1. each to climb to the top of the lighthouse. It is over 600 feet high and the view is pretty cool from the top. It was really windy up there too. <P> Back at the campground, we got a neighbor in the evening. A guy pulled up in a 36' Fleetwood and parked next to us. He was pulling a trailer and his wife was driving a truck following behind. They spent two hours unloading their  stuff . Lawn furniture, toys for 2 kids, Bicycles, Scooters, Motor Scooters and assorted other toys were finally unloaded and set up around their campsite. <P> I noticed he had a TV outside and he was getting a good picture. I wandered over and introduced myself and inquired about his reception. It turned out he had tapped into another campsite with a long run of coax. He offered to spit the signal, so I got out my cable and with his extra 50' of coax, I was hooked up with cable TV. Yeah! <P> <b><u>Jul 4</u></b><br> Happy 4th everyone. Happy Birthday America. <P> <img src="july3.jpg" width=330 height=250 align=right vspace=5 hspace=10> This morning, we decided to take a bike ride so we saddled up and headed south on Hwy 9. Tuckerton is about 4 miles down the road and when we arrived in town they were staging up for their annual 4th of July parade. We hung out at the staging area and watched them prepare, then at 11:00 the police closed the road and the parade took off down the highway. A couple of classic cars, a boat on a trailer, a couple of National Guard Hummers, the entire enrollment of the local Tae Kwan Do School, 3 fire engines and 2  floats on trailers finished off the parade. We followed the end of the parade on our bikes and waved to the folks lining the road to see the parade. A few waved back thinking we were part of the parade. The parade participants were throwing candy to the onlookers and Sim got us a handful. Unfortunately we forgot to bring the camera with us today, so sorry, we have no pictures to share. Back at the campground, we had our 4th of July Bar-B-Q. <P> <b><u>Jul 5</u></b><br> Sim was not tired of riding bikes yet, so we headed north on Hwy 9 today and rode about 7 miles to Manahawkin. We got to the center of town and asked for directions to the Flea Market. Sim had seen a sign somewhere advertising Clams at the Manahawkin Flea Market. The market was another couple of miles up the road so we headed out. We found the market, but there were no clam vendors there. We wandered around but did not find much that interested us and left disappointed and without any clams. We rode back to camp in kind of a hurry as the sky was looking very threatening and Sim was pretty tired, and her legs were pretty sore when we finally got back to the coach. <P> We just rested, and while Sim was watching T.V., I took a nap. We planned to go to the Campground Bar-B-Q at the pool tonight for dinner. They had Bar-B-Q chicken, Cole Slaw, Corn on the cob and Potato Salad for $6. ea. It was actually pretty good, except for the corn that was in the water too long and got a bit soggy. They had a couple of 7 year old girls helping out with the serving of the salad and slaw. We were served the last two huge scoops of slaw as the girls were piling it on the plates so high that they ran out before everyone was served. They were having a good time however. <P> <b><u>Jul 6</u></b><br> Half the campers have gone home or are leaving today. We went to the campground office and asked if we could move to a new spot with a cable hook up. Our neighbor was leaving so we were losing our cable T.V. The office said they had only two available spots, even though we had seen half a dozen. Neither spot worked for our coach so we went back and asked about 2 specific sites that were empty. They said those were reserved and they could not give either of them up. The people that reserved them may come back. Yeah right. 'They just packed all their stuff and drove off to go home. Now they are going to turn around and come back.' Give me a break. We were really disappointed in the overall management of this park. They are losing a lot of revenue with their mismanagement of their reservation system and the attitude of the people working at the office. Sea Pirate Campground: 4 out of 10 stars from Jim and Sim. We stayed in most of the day as the thunderstorms were coming and going on a regular basis. Later in the evening we did go up to the pool for a swim. During the day the pool is packed with kids so later in the evening you can almost get the pool to yourself. <P> <b><u>Jul 7</u></b><br> Sim's legs are recuperated from the 18 miles bike ride the other day <img src="july4.jpg" width=330 height=250 align=left vspace=5 hspace=10> and she wants to ride again today so we rode south to Tuckerton looking for a Barber Shop. We rode all the way to the south end of town and finally stopped at a drugstore and asked about Barber Shops in town. They said there was one at the north end of town. We must have passed it on the way without seeing it. So we turned around and headed back. We did find the shop, but it was closed. No hours of operation posted on the door so we did not wait around. <P> We stopped at My Three Sons, a produce, meat and plant store and bought a 2 and ½ lb. Lobster and took it home and cooked it up for lunch. There was even enough lobster left over to have it for dinner. Sim made lobster sandwiches. Yum! <P> <b><u>Jul 8 ( 1 night, Freehold, NJ USA  Wal Mart)</u></b><br> <img src="july5.jpg" width=330 height=250 align=right vspace=5 hspace=10> Leaving Sea Pirate today. But first I have a dental appointment. I have an old filling that has broken and needs to be fixed. Our milk went bad in the fridge this morning. Two days before the expiration date on the carton. Bummer. Had to eat my oatmeal without milk. Sim is cooking for lunch and dinner tonight so I went up to the pool for a swim. I was first in the pool this morning. I kind of hesitated as first because there were a lot of bugs floating on the surface. Oh well, what's a few bug among friends. Sim came up to the pool to get me when lunch was ready, then it was time to go to the dentist. <P> After we got back it was time to leave so we dumped the tanks and headed up the road. The plan is to drive north towards Jersey City and park at a Wal Mart for the night. I drove up Hwy 9 even though the GPS kept trying to take me over to the tollway. I knew Hwy 9 runs right to Freehold where the Wal Mart is located. What I did not count on was traffic and it turned out to be bad. I think I burned up more gas in traffic and traffic lights than I would have spent paying the toll on the faster more fuel efficient tollway. <P> We found the Wal Mart, pulled in and saw no signs prohibiting overnighting in the lot, so we parked way out in the far corner of a big parking lot. I was a good Wal Mart overnighter and gathered up all of the shopping carts in the general area and returned them to the cart corral. We went inside the Wal Mart and bought some water, milk and a Water Pik. The dentist said a Water Pik would help with my teeth maintenance. <P> <b><u>Jul 9 - 10 (2 nights, Secaucus, NJ USA  Wal Mart)</u></b><br> Sim and I took a walk this morning and found a Barber Shop that was open so I finally got my haircut. We are still here in the Wal Mart parking lot, but plan to move further north toady to get closer to New York. After lunch we left the Wal Mart and headed north. I had the address for a Wal Mart in Secaucus, NJ that is supposed to allow overnight parking. I punched the address in the GPS and we headed north. We found the Wal Mart and noticed that there were about 6 or 7 Prevost coaches in one lot along with a bunch of trucks and one 5th Wheel in the Wal Mart parking lot. So I guess overnighting is OK. <P> <img src="july6.jpg" width=330 height=230 align=left vspace=5 hspace=10> We parked the coach and jumped in the Jeep and headed off to check out the RV Park we are staying at over the weekend. I also wanted to drive the road that we will take in the coach. Well the GPS took me on surface streets, and I cannot take the coach on those streets. The roads in this part of New Jersey are horrible. Potholes everywhere and uneven pavement throws the coach all over the road. We found the RV park and talked to the office folks, got information on the water ferry and the subway. I think we are going to drive our jeep here tomorrow and go into New York for the day. Back at the Wal Mart I talked to one of the guys in a Prevost. I found out that all of them are entertainer coaches and are leased out to Rock and Roll, and Country Western bands. The driver I talked to told me about a couple of other spots to park in case we get booted out of Wal Mart. The weather is hot and humid and I set up the fan to get some air circulating in the coach. The fan would not come on. We just bought this fan a few months ago and now it will not come on. <img src="july7.jpg" width=330 height=250 align=right vspace=5 hspace=10> I decided to take it apart to see if I could find something wrong and I did. A couple of fried resistors and a blown fuse on the control circuit board. I guess I will try to get a new board from Lasko, the manufacturer. <P> (Note; I ended up calling Customer Service at Lasko and they were no help at all. They kept telling me the fan was not repairable. I am sitting there with the PC board in my hand looking at two burned resistor and a burned fuse, both of which are quite repairable. I wasn't even able to get connected to an engineer who could have given me the values of the resistors so I could replace them with the correct values. After that experience, I sat down and wrote a letter to the President of Lasko, but never received a response back from him. Guess which products we will never buy again? LASKO!!!) <P> <b><u>Jul 10</u></b><br> Today we are leaving the coach at Wal Mart and taking the Jeep to the RV park in Jersey City. The plan is to leave the car there, hopefully for free at the RV park and then take the water taxi to New York. We got to the park but they told us no on the free parking, so we had to pay $7 to park at the water taxi lot. We bought our $6 one way tickets for the water taxi from Liberty Harbor to Pier 11 at the foot of Manhattan Island in New York city. <img src="july8.jpg" width=330 height=250 align=left vspace=5 hspace=10> The ride over to New York is only about 10 minutes even with a stop along the way to pick up more Jersey passengers. Pier 11 is right at the foot of Wall St. so we started walking up Wall St. to see what we could see. We found the New York Stock Exchange, <P> The Trump Building, the American Stock Exchange, Freedom Hall, and Trinity Church. After checking out those places we decided to head up towards Times Square. We started walking up Broadway. Along the way we saw Grace Episcopal Church with its beautiful stained glass windows, the Empire State Building, which is undergoing a big renovation, and a broadway show at Brian Park. Along the way we also found lots of shopping as well as good places to eat in Soho. We ate lunch in an Au Pain Bakery. We split a chicken sandwich, salad, and a bowl of delicious spiced corn soup with chilies. Sim tried hard not to look in the clothing stores in the Soho district. Well, temptation in Soho was very high, and she could not resist it so finally she stopped at one store and got a pair of shorts that were on sale. <P> <img src="8461.jpg" width=330 height=200 align=right vspace=5 hspace=10> We finally made it to Times Square and its not as spectacular in daylight as I think it is at night, so we resolved to stay until dark one night to see Times Square all lit up. The ABC broadcast headquarters for their morning show is located at Times Square. After soaking in the ambience of Times Square we decided to continue our stroll uptown and headed towards Central Park. Along the way we found the Ed Sullivan Theatre and the Late Show with David Letterman. I have been emailing Dave for months trying to get tickets to the show while we were in New York. Found out Dave is on hiatus and won't be taping shows again until July 12th. We did go around the corner to the Hello Deli and said  Hello to Dave's friend Rupert G. <P> We finally made it to Central Park and strolled around until we found the lake where we sat and rested our tired dogs. One of the things we wanted to do toady was learn about the subway system, so we decided since we had already walked about 8 miles today we would take the subway down to the World Trade Center and then take the PATH train back to Jersey City and the car. <P> We found the subway station and figured out how to buy tickets, then found the track for our train. I asked a guy standing on the platform if we were in the right place to take the subway to the WTC. He assured us we were in the right place, and we started up a conversation with him. He wanted to know where we were from and if it was our first time in NY. I told him yes and it was our first subway ride. He actually got us off the local train and onto an express train after a couple of stops. He told us it is true that New Yorkers aren't very friendly and we had to be cautious when talking to strangers. But, we actually had the experience that everyone we talked to today was helpful and nice. We found the New Jersey folks with whom we had contact were a bit more blunt. <img src="8469.jpg" width=330 height=250 align=left vspace=5 hspace=10> <P> We got to the WTC and walked around Ground Zero. We stopped at the WTC Visitor Center and decided to wait to take the tour of the gallery until Sim's relatives get here. <P> Next we are off to the PATH station to take the light rail back to Jersey City. After our subway experience the PATH train was a piece of cake. <P> Back at the coach we found out they kicked all the Prevost Entertainer coaches out of the parking lot next to Wal Mart. They were having a classic car show today and needed all the space. <P> <b><u>Jul 11  14 (4 nights, Jersey City, NJ USA  Liberty Harbor Marina and RV Park)</u></b><br> Today we are moving over to Liberty Harbor. Yesterday on the way to the park we drove the route we are taking with the coach. We wanted to check on the road, the turns and make sure it was doable. Can't believe the road conditions we have encountered so far in New Jersey. Worst we have seen so far as far as potholes, uneven pavement, and trash. We arrived at the park, and picked a spot that had some morning and afternoon shade. There are only a couple of spots that have any shade at all. Liberty is just a parking lot with water and electric. And you get to pay $60./night to stay here. It is close to NYC, so I guess that is the benefit. <P> We got settled in, did a couple loads of laundry, found out the dryers did not work very well, so I rigged up a clothes line behind the coach and we hung up the laundry to dry in the sun. <P> Sim had looked on the net for Asian grocery stores and found a couple within 5 or 6 miles so we headed out to find them. The first one was small and did not have what Sim was looking for so we drove to the 555 Asian Market and it was big and had lots of stuff. Sim shopped and shopped. <P> <b><u>Jul 12</u></b><br> Today is the day Sim has been waiting for, the arrival of her niece and the family. Sim and her niece, Piyanute, are seven years apart. They really have a tight relationship like dearest Aunt and Niece, favorite Sister, and best Friend. In the morning we did more laundry. Sim wanted to do the bed sheets and she liked the idea of drying them in the sun, so we popped them in the washer and hung them on my improvised clothes line. We needed to do more grocery shopping, but this time we needed a regular grocery store. There is a Shop Rite a few blocks up on Marin, the street the RV park is on, so we drove there and bought needed supplies. Sim had spotted a Farmers Market sign on the way, so we stopped on the way back to the coach and Sim bought some cilantro, jalapeHo and fresh basil that came with the roots and the dirt too. <P> It was getting close to noon, so we headed for Newark International Airport to pick up the Good family. Sim was very excited to see her niece and the kids. The Good family travel to Europe and the United States every other two years alternatively. Patricia is eleven years old and it is her fourth U.S. trip. Matthew is six years old and it is his third U.S trip. It is Kristy's first time ever visiting the U.S. Except David, it is everyone's first time visiting the East Coast. The trusty GPS got us close, but I messed up after one of the toll booths and had to double back to get back to the airport. <P> I guess now is a good time to rant about the toll roads in New Jersey. All the freeways seem to be toll roads. The New Jersey Turnpike must have 10 toll booths on it. It seems you can't go 10 miles without paying a toll. Usually, a couple bucks for the car, but it was $7.50 for the coach to come into Jersey City. <P> We got to the airport in time and Sim found the Goods at baggage claim. I only had to make one loop around the airport before were able to pick them up. <P> Here is another rant. Newark International Airport has the most confusing and complicated  airport loop that I have ever seen in my entire life. You have to make at least 6 left turns and as many right turns just to loop the airport after the cops make you move from in front of baggage claim. It is insane. <P> We got the Goods (David, Piyanute, Patricia, Matthew, and Patricia's BFL Kristy) and drove back to Jersey City and got them checked into the DoubleTree Hotel where they are stay while we are in New Jersey. After they dropped off their luggage in their room, we came back to the coach to have dinner and plan our visit to the city. <P> <b><u>Jul 13</u></b><br> <img src="8480.jpg" width=330 height=250 align=right vspace=5 hspace=10> We met the Good family at 9:00 a.m. at the Jersey City PATH station and boarded the train to NYC. The Grove St. Path station is within walking distance of the RV park and the DoubleTree Hotel. We caught the train at the Grove St. station at Columbus and Marin in Jersey City and it terminates at the WTC in NYC. From there we walked down Broadway to Battery Park. We queued up in the ticket line for our tickets to Liberty and Ellis Islands and found out that entrance to the Statue of Liberty was not available until 11:15 a.m. So we bought the tickets and then had 90 minutes to kill. We headed back up Broadway and made a left onto Wall street and took in some of the sights in the Financial District to kill some time. <P> <img src="8498.jpg" width=330 height=200 align=left vspace=5 hspace=10> We got in line for the ferry boat over to Liberty Island. It is Sunday, so there are a lot of people here. There must be 500 people in line. While waiting in the line, one street performer playing a clarinet asked where we were from, the kids said Thailand. The guy greeted us in Thai and then played the Thailand National Anthem. It was quite entertaining to hear him play all kinds of National Anthems for visitors from all over the world. Many gave him tips. It was quite cleaver and I was sure that he made some good money. In spite of all the people, we have reserved tickets so I know we will get on the boat. First we have to go through security, just like the airport. They have metal detectors and I am not supposed to go through metal detectors because of my defibrillator implant so I get to be patted down by hand. That is always fun. It takes me twice as long to go through any security checkpoint these days. At last we are on the boat and headed for Liberty Island and the Statue of Liberty. She is really pretty and quite a sight to see from the water. <P> <img src="8507.jpg" width=330 height=220 align=right vspace=5 hspace=10> We walked around the island and then headed over to go inside and up to the Observation Deck. They have another security checkpoint before you can go inside. This time they have an explosive sniffer as well as a metal detector. So once again I get special treatment. We get inside and start up to the Observation Deck. It is 368 steps to the deck. Not bad at all. The view is pretty good, but I will bet the view from the top is even better. They stopped letting people go to the top in 2001. The ranger said the Fire Dept. put the kibosh on people going up there because of safety issue. I guess too many people were suffering from heat exhaustion, hypothermia, and some heart attacks as well. It was just too difficult getting the rescue people up there to help the people that were unprepared, out of shape, and in poor health, that for whatever reason thought they could climb 10 stories up a narrow circular staircase in the heat of summer. <P> We climbed back down and went over to the cafeteria and had lunch out on the patio. There was nice breeze blowing and it was really pleasant. We got in line for the boat and soon were on our way to Ellis Island. Ellis Island processed some 12 million immigrants into the US during its 62 year history. The main processing building has been restored and they have a fine museum and collection of artifacts from the heyday of Ellis. We joined a free 45 minute Ranger led tour of the main building and heard some good stories about the history of Ellis Island. About 30 minutes into the tour the fire alarm went off and we all had to evacuate the building. The Good kids were getting restless and tired and I think they had had enough of museums, so we got in line for the boat back to Battery Park. <P> Back in New York, the Goods were off the boat and for some reason, Sim and I were lagging behind. As we approached the gangway the boat started rocking violently and the gangway was heaving up and down off the deck by a couple of feet. The crew stopped everyone from exiting the boat and they had to move the boat further down the pier to find some calmer water so the rest of us could disembark. <P> On solid ground again, we headed up Broadway and the WTC to the PATH station. The kids and some of the adults too, were pretty beat. We did get sidetracked to Century 21, a well known discount store for a bit of shopping before we finally made it to the PATH station. Tickets in hand we headed for the train. Piyanute, last through the turnstile, had a problem with her ticket and the turnstile and ended up crawling underneath. One of the PATH workers saw her and thought she was trying to get through without paying. The worker yelled at us, so we had to stop and explain. Apparently the cops monitor TV and will fine you $25 for trying to beat the system. <P> Back in New Jersey, Sim and Piyanute cooked, Piyanute did some laundry at the park laundromat and we planned tomorrow's activity and had some dinner at the coach. <P> <b><u>Jul 14</u></b><br> Off to New York again today. First on the agenda is the Swedish Embassy. David needs to get Piyanute a short term visa so they can take advantage of some hotel accommodations in the airport in Stockholm for their 7 hour layover on the return trip to Thailand. We got to the Embassy right at 10:00 a.m. when they opened and took care of the visa. It will take 10 days to process her visa, so the Visa will be sent to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Niagara Falls. Niagara Falls is our last destination with the Good family. The increasing fuel price had an impact on the Good's air transportation quite a bit. Originally they bought a non stop flight from Bangkok to New York (JFK) and the same non-stop on the way back to Thailand. Then, Thai Airways stopped its direct flight to New York two weeks before their trip. As a result they had to fly to Stockholm and then to New York. <P> <img src="8550.jpg" width=330 height=250 align=left vspace=5 hspace=10> Off to Central Park. The kids were excited to go to the park. We walked and walked and finally got to the lake with the rowboats where we rented a couple of boats and spent an hour rowing around the lake. The kids enjoyed taking turns rowing. <P> More walking through the park and finally we ended up on the West Side when we decided to head for Rockefeller Center. Rather than walk, we waved down a Taxi only to find out only 4 could go in a cab. So we ended up taking 2 cabs to the  Top of the Rock . Neither one of us got the  Cash Cab even though we looked hard for it. For those of you who don't know about the  Cash Cab , it is a guy in a New York City cab that drives around New York picking up people and you play a game inside the cab. You answer questions worth $25, $50, and $100 each on the way to your destination. If you miss 3 questions, you are kicked out of the cab. If you make it to your destination before missing 3 questions you have the option of taking the money you have won or risking it on a double or nothing video bonus question. The show airs on the Discovery Channel, and Sim and I love watching the show. <P> <img src="8578.jpg" width=330 height=250 align=right vspace=5 hspace=10> We got to Rockefeller Center and Sim and Piyanute were not interested in going to the top (I think they wanted to spend some  aunt and niece alone time ), so David, the kids, and I went up. The elevator goes up to the 67th floor and you can walk up another couple of floors to the very top of the building. The views are pretty spectacular up there. I imagine it is quite beautiful at night as well. This is where NBC broadcasts their morning show from; not the top of the building, but down in the Plaza. <P> It is getting towards dinner time and David has arranged to meet an old friend in Chinatown for a meal. But before going there we walked down to Times Square. We went into Toys R Us and the Goods did some shopping while Sim and I people watched from outside the store. They were giving away free Ice Cream Cones at Times Square. It was a promotion for a new TV series that was airing tonight. We promised we would watch and got in line for our Ice Cream Cone. I think the show is on cable and we don't have cable. The Ice Cream was good. Next we walked to the subway station and took the F train down to the East Broadway in Chinatown. David had arranged to meet his friend at Confucius Plaza, <img src="8635.jpg" width=330 height=180 align=left vspace=5 hspace=10> so we started asking directions as soon as we got off the Subway. It was only 5 or 6 blocks until we finally found the statue of Confucius. Sim said Piyanute and her blended well with the folks in China town. It looked like we were walking in China. Food was very good but you had to have a high tolerance for noise from other tables. I guess it was their normal conversations, but it sounded like they were yelling at each other to us. It was a good dinner and Foo, David's friend, was nice and quite entertaining. We got home about 10 p.m. Sim suggested we should go see the lights of NYC from across the Hudson river. We hopped in the jeep with the camera and tripod and drove to Hudson river front. <P> <b><u>Jul 15 (2 nights, South Dennis, MA USA  Old Chatham Resort)</u></b><br> Leaving New Jersey and driving to Massachusetts today. I fired up Google and checked on the best route. Google was taking me through the Holland Tunnel and into New York City then up the west side of Manhattan. I don't think so. I decided to head over towards Newark, jump on 95 and go north. Toll roads are everywhere in New Jersey and we had to pay $32.00 at the George Washington Bridge in New Jersey before we crossed the river to New York. Then it was another $14. in tolls before we got to Connecticut. Kind of glad we are leaving this part of the country. We ended up going through Rhode Island as well on the way to Massachusetts. We want to return to Rhodel Island to see more of that state. <P> It was a long day of driving but we finally arrived at Old Chatham Park right before 5:00 p.m. The office was closed. Now you would think that since I had made reservations in March, 4 months in advance, that they had ample time to prepare for my arrival. While I did not expect a parade, I did expect a note, an arrival packet, a map with my reserved spot clearly marked, something that said  Welcome Jim . Nothing, Nada, Zip. A faded, rumbled map, for no one in particular, saying  take any spot was all that was in the late arrival box. So I had to drive around and find my own spot. This place is really a trailer park. They have some empty spots where trailers have moved out so those are the available spots. Water and sewer connections are set up for trailers not motorhomes, so I cannot hookup sewer, and my water hose barely reached the facet. The cable TV does not work and to get internet you have to go to the WiFi building and pay $5. for 24 hours of TengoInternet. 2 out of 10 stars for this park. <P> <b><u>Jul 16</u></b><br> <img src="8645.jpg" width=330 height=250 align=right vspace=5 hspace=10> Drove out to Provincetown at the very end of Cape Cod today. It is a nice drive but it is a long way. We walked around town, out on the pier. I wanted to take a sail on a schooner but it was undergoing repairs so that was out. The kids were playing down by the water and having fun. I walked over the the Pilgrims Monument to see it while Piyanute and Sim found some shade and watched the kids. <P> It was getting towards noon and lunchtime so we found a small sandwich shop and got some wraps and some of their  World Famous Clam Chowder. After lunch we walked around town some more and then got back in the car and headed towards home. We stopped at a couple of beaches on the way. The first one they wanted $10 to park, so we just drove in to look around and decided it was not worth $10. Next we stopped at Marconi Beach and this was a National Park Beach so my Golden Age Passport got us all in for free. We parked and walked down to the beach and hung out for an hour or so. Marconi is a nice beach with wide sandy areas and clear water. There were some waves and a few guys out in the water surfing. People weren't allowed to swim today as there were rip tides caused by a big storm in the Atlantic. The kids were not used to this cold water temperature and Sim wanted them to experience it. The kids got good screams every time waves hit them as they waded in ankle deep water. <P> <b><u>Jul 17  18 (2 nights, Littleton, MA USA  Boston Minuteman Campground)</u></b><br> We are off to a campground that is fairly close to Boston today. It is 120 miles to Littleton, MA where we are staying. The drive was uneventful and when we got settled in we decided to maybe go into Boston for the afternoon. We drove down to the town of Ayer and found the train station, got a schedule and found out about fares. We decided that it was too expensive for the 7 of us based on the fare rates we saw so we went back to the campground. Later in the day we found the commuter train website and found better fares and planned to go to Boston in the morning. The Goods stayed in a hotel that was about 30 miles away from us. <P> <b><u>Jul 18</u></b><br> We caught the train in the morning and got off at the North Station. <img src="8692.jpg" width=330 height=250 align=left vspace=5 hspace=10> It is about an hour train ride from Ayer and the train stops at about 10 stations. From North Station we walked to the Bunker Hill Monument and then just walked the Freedom Trail and saw the USS Constitution, Paul Revere's house, the Old North Church and a few other historic buildings and sites. <P> The Boston Tea Party stuff was closed for renovation. By the time we got to Fanueil Hall, we were starving so we stopped for lunch. After lunch we headed over to Boston Commons Park. The sun was pretty strong and humidity was quite high today. It was our first day experiencing a real East Coast summer day, I guess. Sim reminded me to drink water very often. We spotted a playground for the kids and next to playground was a big water fountain area. The kids were prohibited from getting themselves wet. While the kids played at the playground and David and Piyanute rested in the park, Sim and I jumped on the subway and went up to Harvard to walk around the campus. Sim predicted that the prohibition will be violated and the kids will be wet when we got back. Who could separate kids from water on the hot day. Sure enough Matthew was topless and running around in his underwear and the girls were soaking wet when we got back to the park. Everyone had a good time and was tired and it was time to head back to camp. We took the Subway to the North Station to catch the train back to Littleton. We bought subway tickets for adults as kids under twelve didn't have to pay. We arranged to had the kids walk through the gate with each of us. The girls were reluctant to walk with the adults and insisted we buy them tickets. They said they didn't want to get caught. We had to reassure them they didn't have to pay for the Boston subway ride. <P> <b><u>Jul 19  21 (3 nights, Kennebunkport, ME USA  Red Apple Campground)</u></b><br> It is only 88 miles to Kennebunkport, but it took a long time to get there. There was lots and lots of traffic and everyone was going the same way as us. We found out later that there was at least one, and possibly two local festivals going on and it seemed everyone was going. We arrived at Red Apple in the late morning. The people here are fantastic. The campground is really great. The rates are very reasonable. This is probably the best campground on the East Coast we have stayed at. The Goods stayed at a hotel about 5 miles away from us. Red Apple gets 9 of 10 stars. <P> <b><u>July 20</u></b><br> Today the Goods were supposed to go on a Whale Watching trip. <img src="8729.jpg" width=330 height=250 align=right vspace=5 hspace=10> But they called and cancelled early so we ended up going to the beach today after we stopped into the office and picked up a FREE parking pass for the beach. We got to the main beach and there were a bizzillon dogs and their owners playing on the beach. The girls romped on the beach with the dogs and the owners. Sim Piyanute and Matthew played Frisbee while David and I read the paper. The next thing I realized was that all the dogs disappeared. Apparently after 10:00 a.m. dogs are not allowed on the beach. We stayed for a little while longer watching several groups of kids learning how to surf until it started to rain. Piyanute and Sim were pretty far down the beach from the car so they were pretty wet by the time they got back to the car. We drove around Kennebunkport for another hour or so but it kept raining so we headed back to camp. <P> We drove passed the Bush compound on Walker's Point. <img src="8739.jpg" width=330 height=190 align=left vspace=5 hspace=10> It is a pretty nice spread that has been in the Bush family for over 100 years. <P> In the evening, we drove to downtown for dinner. Kennebunkport is a very cute little town, but it is hard to find a parking space. We circled three times before getting a spot. We had to wait 45 minutes before we could be seated at the restaurant we picked. Oh well, at least we had time to walk around and see what this cute little town has in the way of shops. The girls got some toys and Matthew got another pair of Crocs. <P> <b><u>Jul 21</u></b><br> <img src="8747.jpg" width=250 height=330 align=right vspace=5 hspace=10> The Goods have rescheduled the Whale Watch to today and it looks like a go. We dropped them off at the dock and headed for the beach. We also wanted to take some pictures of some of the things we saw yesterday but could not because of the rain. It is overcast today but no rain so far. We went out to Walkers point again. There is a lot of activity today as John McCain is coming tomorrow and will spend some time with H.W. and Barbara Bush. We also went over to St. Ann's Episcopal Church and spent an hour or so browsing the grounds. The church is right on a point with a nice view and has beautiful grounds. <P> Sim and I went back to the campground to have lunch before it was time to pick up the Goods. On the way we were passed by John McCain's entourage coming into town. Must have been 10 Secret Service cars, 5 or 6 State Troopers, and a big 45' Prevost with John McCain for President on the side. We honked and waved as he went by. <P> After lunch it was time to pick up the Goods from their Whale Watching trip. Our timing was pretty good and they had only been waiting a few minutes when we arrived. They did see a couple of whales but both Piyanute and Matthew got a little bit seasick. Sim cooked lobster, halibut, and steamed vegetable for dinner tonight. David bought peach pie from a local produce shop. It was indeed an excellent pie. <P> <b><u>Jul 22 - 23 (2 nights, East Wakefield, NH USA  Lake Ivanhoe Inn & Campground)</u></b><br> It was only a short drive to our new campground today. Less than 50 miles that went by pretty fast. We did not leave Red Apple until the last possible minute. This new park is another park with many permanents and seasonal residents. I have a growing dislike for these kinds of parts. They have a nice lake across the road, so that redeems this place a bit. They charged us a guest fee. <img src="8766.jpg" width=330 height=220 align=left vspace=5 hspace=10> $6 per adult and $4 per child. I told the office that our  guests were not staying, but it did not make any difference. So since we paid for the Goods, they stayed the rest of the day. <P> I put the kayaks in the water at the lake and we paddled around and checked out the lake. It is a small lake but there were a couple of boats pulling water skiers and kids in tubes. David went back to the office and rented a couple of SOT kayaks and the kids tried their hand at paddling on the lake. I took Matthew out with me and he seemed to have a good time. The Goods stayed at the hotel 30 miles or so away from us. <P> <b><u>Jun 23</u></b><br> <img src="8780.jpg" width=250 height=330 align=right vspace=5 hspace=10> We are driving up into the White Mountains to a place called Attitash. During the winter, this is a Ski Resort, but in the summer they use the slopes for mountain biking and they also have built a really long slide. You get on some kind of slider at the top of the mountain and slide down hundreds of feet. The kids are looking forward to this. We arrived to an empty parking lot and found out they are not planning to open today due to bad incoming weather. Bummed out, we drove back to the train station in Conway and planned to take a scenic train ride up the valley. It was about 11 a.m. so we bought 1 p.m. train ride because we wanted to have lunch before getting on an hour-round-trip train. We broke for lunch as Piyanute, David and the kids headed for a restaurant, but Sim wanted bagels so we walked a mile or so down the road to Bagels Plus. We had a bagel sandwich. Sim liked their bagels very much that we ended up buying a half dozen bagels to take home. <P> After the train ride we headed to the Outlet Center to do some shopping. We spent a couple of hours shopping and everyone got something except me. Sim got a $ 9 T-shirt. <P> The weather was looking ominous so we headed back to the campground. The White Mountain drive is pretty and the roads are good. Back at camp the rain started and since we could not play at the lake, the Goods went back to their hotel to swim at the indoor pool. <P> <b><u>Jun 24 ( 1 night, Burlington, VT USA  Comfort Inn and Suites parking lot)</u></b><br> Today is the day we will enter into the Last States of our 49 states quest. We decided to drive to Burlington, VT today instead of staying one more night at Lake Ivanhoe. The weather was really bad, and this campground left us with a sour taste. First we stopped in the office to see if they would refund us for one night, but they just pointed at the sign of the wall that said  No Refunds . That convinced me that we were leaving today. In spite of the rain that was pouring down, Sim and I loaded up the bikes and the kayaks. We finally headed out after drying off and changing into dry clothes. <P> Our route to Burlington is through the mountains and back roads pretty much straight across the state of Vermont. The GPS is guiding me so I am just following it's directions. First we are heading north on the same road that we took into the White Mountains. To our surprise we passed and area where a tornado had touched down last night. There were a dozen trees just ripped in half and debris scattered over an area about the size of a football field. But there were also trailers and buildings that appeared undamaged as well. The tornado scene definitely caught the girls' interest. They asked Sim a lot more questions about tornadoes and if a tornado might happen in the area where we will be traveling. You could tell from their faces that they were worried. They don't have tornadoes in Thailand. <P> After driving about 3 hours we finally arrived at the outskirts of Burlington. Our plan, since we were a day early, was to spend the night at the local Wal Mart and check in to the campground in the morning. We found the Wal Mart but they had  No Overnight Parking signs up so we called the Comfort Inn, where the Goods are staying, to ask them if they had room for motorhome parking. They said yes so we headed for the Comfort Inn. Their parking lot was pretty small but we found 7 open spaces and parked. Big dark clouds started to form up and it looked like a tornado might be coming our way. Sim said when the girls heard about the possibility of a tornado, they asked her if there will be any tornado warnings and how early the siren will go off before the tornadoes hit. They told Sim that they were really scared. We wanted Chinese for dinner and drove to two locations found by the GPS that turned out to be gone until we finally decided on Applebees. By the time we got to the restaurant it was pouring rain, so I let everyone out at the front entrance while I parked the car and ran to the door through the pouring rain. <P> <b><u>Jul 25  26 ( 2 nights, Burlington, VT USA  North Beach Campground)</u></b><br> Todays agenda is full. First we are off to Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory in Waterbury, VT. The drive from Burlington is about 30 minutes south. <img src="8800.jpg" width=330 height=250 align=left vspace=5 hspace=10> We arrived around 9:00 got our tour tickets ($2.00) and waited about 10 minutes for our tour. The young man that guided us through the factory was very knowledgeable and funny too. Unfortunately, they do not allow photographs inside the factory. It is a fairly small operation here. They only make two flavors at a time in the quart size containers. <P> Today they were making Cherry Garcia and Strawberry Cheesecake. It is all automated and the only people jobs are loading the containers and lids into the machine and dumping in the  chunks in the mixing vat. All of us got free samples of Strawberry Cheesecake Ice cream and we all agreed that it was scrumptious. <P> Next we are off to the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory. It is just south off Burlington on Hwy 7. <img src="8816.jpg" width=330 height=250 align=right vspace=5 hspace=10> This is really a place for kids. The tour is only a couple of bucks and you get to see all of the steps that go into making a teddy bear. Our tour guide was very good and took her job quite seriously. She talked about the bears as if they were living, breathing beings. They even provide air holes in the shipping boxes and also print games and puzzles on the inside of the boxes so the bears will have something to do on their way to their new owners. The do allow pictures inside this factory tour. The funniest part was when we got to the Bear Hospital. If anything happens to your bear, as long as you own it, you can send it back for repair or replacement at no charge. The only exception is if you put your bear in the clothes dryer. They will not fix those bears because it melts the fur. <P> After we finished up with the Bears we are off to Shelburne Farms. Shelburne Farms was the estate of a wealthy family that bought up 31 farms and over 3000 acres on Lake Champlain. They used a guy named Olmstead to do the landscaping for the property. This was the same guy that did the grounds of Vanderbilt's Biltmore Estate. <P> We took the tractor pulled carts out to the Farm Barn where the kids enjoyed seeing and touching all the animals as well as free cheese samples. <P> <b><u>Jul 26</u></b><br> The Goods are on their own today. We are staying at the campground. <img src="8868.jpg" width=330 height=240 align=left vspace=5 hspace=10> In the morning we took off on a bike ride. First we rode south on the bike trail for about 4 miles until it ended. Then we turned around and rode the trail back to camp and North for a couple more miles before turning around and coming back to the campground. There were lots of joggers, walkers and bikers on the trail. <P> Since it was early morning it had not warmed up yet so it was not too hot. The wind was blowing pretty good this morning as well and that helped keep us cooler. Back at camp Sim started to prepare for lunch and dinner and I went up to the campground office to check on propane. Tomorrow, we are leaving in the morning and driving all the way across northern New York to Buffalo. We are low on propane so I need to get the tank filled in the morning before we take off. Still have not decided whether we are going to take the ferry across Lake Champlain to New York or not. <P> The Goods showed up late in the afternoon after spending the day at the Aquarium and other Burlington attractions. Sim and Piyanute prepared dinner and the girls helped skewer chicken and pork. I was in charge in grilling the pork and chicken satay on the bar-b-q. <img src="8877.jpg" width=330 height=250 align=right vspace=5 hspace=10> Sim also cooked sticky rice for the kids because it is their favorite. We ate outside on the picnic table. The kids have been asking about when we were going to have a campfire. After dinner I tried to start a campfire. Earlier in the day I bought firewood at the camp store. It looked nice and dry, but I had a heck of a time getting the fire going. I used two newspapers and a couple of cups of diesel fuel before the wood finally caught and we had a campfire. I was about ready to turn in my Boy Scout badge for fire starting. The camper next door was watching me, with great amusement I am sure, and did come over with some really dry wood to help me out. Sim got out the S'Mores fixings and I showed the kids how to roast marshmallows and fix S'Mores. Pat and Kristy fixed up a couple of S'Mores and took them over to our neighbors to thank them for the help with the fire. Everyone had a great time, especially Matthew. <P> <b><u>Jul 27  31 ( 5 nights, Niagara Falls, NY USA  Four Mile State Park Campground)</u></b><br> Last night we checked the map and it looks like taking the ferry will be the quicker way to get to Buffalo today. The ferry cost will be about $100. for the Coach, the Jeep and 7 passengers. We got up at 5:30 a.m. for breakfast and to get ready and get to the ACE Hardware store for propane at 7:00 a.m. David is going to meet us there. We got going at 6:45 and headed for ACE. It turned out to be further than the 3 miles that the guy at the campground office told me. I had to stop and call to get more directions, but we got there just after 7:00 and got our propane tank filled. Now we are just waiting for David. He got lost as well, but showed up at 7:20. Now we had to hook up the Jeep and drive to the ferry dock to make the 8:00 ferry. We arrived at the ferry dock at 7:45 and queued up in line. The ticket guy showed up at 7:50 and informed us that the maximum height for vehicles is 11'3 . Great, we are 11'6 . When I asked him about passage rates yesterday, he said nothing about height restrictions. So, I had to unhook the Jeep, make a 3 point U-turn, re-hook up the Jeep and head south to the first bridge to cross over into New York and head for Buffalo. <P> It seemed to us that it was actually quicker to drive the way we did than take the ferry, It is a long drive across New York and it is all toll road. It cost us $43. to go from Albany to Buffalo. David and Piyanute were dreading the ten hour drive with the kids. It turned out all right as David and Piyanute instructed the kids to keep their voices down. Matthew slept the whole morning and the girls were asked to try to sleep. In the afternoon, Matthew was busy with his Gameboy and his soldier troop toys. Sim kept the girls occupied with Math solutions and  What is your friend's favorite Game. At our lunch break, we stopped for diesel fuel and paid the highest per gallon rate so far at $4.98/gal. We finally arrived at the campground around 6:00 p.m. after driving 10 hours. <P> We checked in and drove to our site to find someone already there. They were in the wrong spot so they had to pack up and move one site over before we could pull in and settle down for the evening. <P> This state campground is great. The sites are huge, the scenery fantastic if you can get a lake view site. The rates are very reasonable too. Sites have 30 amps but no sewer or water. They have 3 dump stations. <P> <b><u>Jul 28</u></b><br> Today we are going to visit Niagara Park on the US side of the border. When we were in New York, we went to the Swedish Embassy for a short term Visa for Piyanute. Their return flight has a 7 hour layover so they booked a short term room in the airport. But Piyanute, being Thai, needed a Visa. The Embassy kept her Passport, and the Visa and Passport had not yet come to the hotel in Niagara Falls. Today we have to call the Embassy between 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m to follow up. <P> <img src="8911.jpg" width=330 height=240 align=left vspace=5 hspace=10> We decided to do the Maid of the Mist boat ride first. We queued up with a 100 or so other tourists to buy tickets being sold by one person at the Information Center at Niagara Park. I asked one worker there if this was the only place to buy tickets and he said  Yes . A few minutes later another worker came by and said if you wanted single attraction tickets, they could be purchased at the attraction. So we got out of that line and walked down to the Maid of the Mist kiosk and bought our tickets. You take an elevator down to the boats on the Niagara River. Decked out in our blue plastic rain gear we boarded the boat and got a good spot on top and in front of the boat. <P> The boat ride is really cool. First you go by the American Falls and get kinda wet. Next the boat goes right to the middle of the base of the Horseshoe Falls in Canada. Here you can barely see and it is like being in a torrential downpour. Be prepared to get wet. There is no avoiding it. <P> <img src="8958.jpg" width=250 height=330 align=right vspace=5 hspace=10> Next we headed over to the Cave of the Winds tour. It was getting close to 2:00 p.m. so David, Piyanute and Matthew stayed behind with Sim and I took Kristy and Patricia on the tour. I guess back in the 1920s you really could walk behind the Bridal Veil Falls into a cave, but the rocks finally collapsed and the cave is gone. Now you can walk up to the base of the falls and stand within 10 feet of the water hitting the rocks. They tear down and rebuild the wooden staircase every year. It is easier to do that than repair the winter damage that would occur yearly. When we arrived at the Hurricane Deck, the girls lift off their rain coats and stood as close as possible to the Bridal Veil Falls. They had a blast making themselves really wet on the Hurricane Deck. We even went back down and climbed back up again it was so much fun. They furnish yellow plastic rain ponchos on this tour as well as rubber sandals to wear on the wet slick surfaces on the tour. The girls might as well left the ponchos off as they were bound and determined to get soaking wet. <P> Back at the top, we met up with David and Piyanute. Good news. It turns out the hotel does have the package from the Embassy. In fact they have had it for a week, sitting pretty in the Sales Dept. The Front Desk finally decided to ask around to other Departments. So now we can go to Canada since Piyanute has her passport back. We walked down to the brink of the Horseshoe Falls and took some pictures before heading back to the hotel. <P> <b><u>Jul 29</u></b><br> The weather is supposed to be perfect today. Sim and I drove to Niagara Falls to pick up the Goods. Passports in hand we headed for the Canadian border. We had to go inside and have Piyanute's Canadian Visa Stamped. We have 2 Americans, 1 Thai, 3 Brits, and 1 Australian in the car. Quite a group, eh? <P> We got into Canada and noticed quite a difference right away. The Canadian side is cleaner, well laid out with nice parks and flowers compared to the US side that is rather run down, seedy looking and dirty. <P> <img src="9067.jpg" width=330 height=200 align=left vspace=5 hspace=10> We found a municipal parking lot, paid the $20.00 Cdn, ouch, for all day parking and headed off to see the sights. The falls are right in front of you on the Canadian side. First we walked down to the Horseshoe Falls, where the spray from the falling water creates a constant drizzle at the walkway along the river. This is a great place to hang out on a hot day. The constant mist in the air is very refreshing. We walked along the walkway to see the American Falls. You are straight across the river here in Canada so the view is really great. I am going to wait until we come this way in the afternoon to take pictures. The sun will be on my back then. <P> The kids spotted the big amusement area up on the hill. David bought the kids an Adventure Pass so they were set to go to 5 or 6 attractions. All I wanted to do was ride the big Ferris Wheel. Sim and I got some good views of both falls from the top. The kids had a great time. By the time we started walking back to the car, it was late in the afternoon and the sun was at my back so I got some good pictures of both the American Falls and the Horseshoe Falls. <P> We had to show our passports again on the way back to the U.S. The officer was curious as to how we knew each other when he saw four different nationalities in one car. Back to the campground and we had a farewell dinner and campfire. Sim and Piyanute prepared a couple of delicious Thai dishes. We had S'Mores and three flavors of Ben and Jerry's ice cream; Strawberry Cheesecake, Cherry Garcia, and Vanilla at the campfire. Patricia and Kristy gave us Thank You speeches. They were very sweet. <P> <b><u>Jul 30</u></b><br> I am sick today. It started with a sore throat a couple of days ago. Today my nose is stuffed and I am coughing. The Goods are leaving and we have to pick them up at the hotel at 8:00 a.m. and drive them to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. We got there on time and headed off for the airport. We dropped them off, said our goodbyes and headed back to the campground. Sim was a bit sad to see them leave. We had a great time traveling with them. This time the kids were much more fun to play with than two years ago. We are supposed to leave the park today, but have decided to stay another 5 or 6 days. When we got back to the campground, I went to the office and got another site for 2 days. Supposedly they are booked over the weekend and no electric sites are available on Friday and Saturday. We may have to boondock for 2 day. We moved the coach to our new spot, dumping the tanks in the process. After lunch, I laid down and took a nap until 5:00 p.m. hoping to feel better. <P> <b><u>Jul 31</u></b><br> Today we are just hanging out at the campground. Jim still does not feel very well. <img src="9094.jpg" width=330 height=250 align=right vspace=5 hspace=10> His sore throat is now a stuffy nose with a cough and occasional sneeze. We did some laundry, took a nap and just puttered around. Later in the afternoon, we went down to the beach and gathered up some driftwood for a campfire later tonight. <P> Sometime tomorrow we will have to move to a new spot. I guess this coming weekend is a long weekend for the Canadians so the park is going to be full. <P> We are going to hang out here in Niagara Falls, NY for a few more days and decide where we are going next. As of the end of July we have been in all the US states except Hawaii. We have to decide if we are going up into New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Quebec. We also would like to spend some more time in Maine and Rhode Island. So, stay tuned to Jim and Sim's Great Adventure to see where we are going next. <br><br> <center><a href="travelogue.htm">Back To Travelogue Page</a></center> </font> </blockquote> </font> <br><br> <center> <font face="arial, verdana" size=1> <a href="index.htm">Home</a> | <a href="who.htm">Who We Are</a> | <a href="travelogue.htm">Travelogue</a> | <a href="photos.htm">Photos</a> | <a href="links.htm">Links</a> | <a href="mailto:mr.scudder@gmail.com">Contact Us</a> <br> Copyright &COPY; 2007. All Rights Reserved </font> </center> </font> <br><br><br> </td></tr></table> </body> </html>