2018 Trip 3: a Rideau Lakes getaway

Trip 3: Lower Beverly Lake

A new destination this weekend, into the Rideau Lakes area, to a rather large campground nestled between the upper and lower Beverly Lakes. Although we originally thought this was a private campground, it turns out it is owned and operated by the local township. It has a private campground feel, lots of seasonal trailers, and the sites are quite tight. It is evident that it is well run, there is staff around all over, tending to the grounds, picking up garbage, and operating the little canteen.

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Dometic Fridge Thermistor Replacement

We have been noticing of late that our fridge does not seem to keep things as cool as we think it used to. A few factors could be related to this, such as the really hot summers we now have, and of course, the age of the cooling system. A little research pointed me in the direction of replacing the thermistor, which controls the preset temperature, as a simple and relatively inexpensive first action to see if there is an improvement.

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New Curtains

Never underestimate a job. Akin to that thinking is to never undervalue the effort that goes into something you are paying for. Again, easier said than done, and sort of against an ingrained mindset to find the best value. So when we pondered making new curtains, I did think “how hard can that really be”. The answer...much harder than you think.

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2018 Trip 2: raining caterpillars

Trip 2: Silver Lake

A short weekend away, to our favourite site on the lake. As we have said many times over, you just cannot beat a site right on the water. Last time we were here we backed the Alto in, but that ended with us having the door side away from the water. There is a vague pull through route to get out if you drive directly in, so we had another good look, and figured we would give it a go.

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Wheel Assembly Replacement...a bit of a job

What started out as a straight forward replacement and repacking of the bearings, soon turned into a far larger job. This became immediately apparent as soon as I laid my eyes on the inside surfaces of the drum. Before I go any further, please take a moment and read my little disclaimer.

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2018 Trip 1: and another season begins...

Trip 1: Bayview Lodge

Exciting times...the start of another camping season. We brought the Alto home a couple of weeks ago, slowly put our gear back in, planned some meals, and by the time the weekend rolled along, we were all hyped up to get out there.

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2017 Trip 11: doing that winterizing thing...

2017 Trip 11: Cedar Cove

It's closing weekend, and that means we headed to Cedar Cove. This has become a staple of our camping season, as the campground has so much to offer. The site services help with the closing routine, and when the weather is inclement, the restaurant sure is handy to have available.

We arrived around 4:00pm, and after we got set up, Dale made up a couple of G & T's, we grabbed our chairs and headed to the end of the dock to enjoy the sunset. The forecast is for rain off and on throughout the weekend, so we wanted to take advantage of any sun we could get.

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2017 Trip 10: the non-summer, summer weekend

Trip 10: Sharbot Lake PP

The weather all week has been fabulous, and the forecast is calling for more of the same, with temps in the high eighties. This is unseasonably warm for late September, but with the wet and somewhat unusual weather over the summer, a little warmth is certainly welcome.

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2017 Trip 9: the boys weekend...redux

Trip 9: Bonnechere PP

It's that time again...the boys weekend. Although it does coincide with Dale's girls weekend, Barley and I have come to think of it as our little get-away. If you are going to be hanging out, why not snag a favourite site in the park. One advantage of post Labour Day camping is that it is much easier to  get sites, as the demand really drops off.

his constant state

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2017 Trip 8: chillin' in the Adirondacks

Trip 8: Rollins Pond

Another extra long weekend, and another trip to a favourite, Rollins Pond. Headed out Wed after work, and our first stop was the Ogdensburg Walmart. It makes so much sense in so many ways. Gives us a head start on the travel, loading up on supplies there, and at the grocery store across the street. There is generally a trip to the UPS store as well, to pick up some online ordered goodies.

The parking lot was busy with a couple of semi's, a class B, and a big DuPont transport with some sort of chemical hauling trailer. We had a quick chat with the guy driving the rig, and he inquired whether it was a safe spot to stop. We told him our experiences, and he thanked us for the info. Soon afterwards he was joined by two other identical haulers, and it was the three of them and little ole us, all side by side.

By the time we rose in the morning, they were gone. We must have been deep into la la land, as we did not hear those three big Peterbilts start up and pull away. Coffee was made and then we headed out as well. Groceries were gotten, parcels picked up, and we were off. Very overcast Thursday, but no rain. After our usual stops in the town of Tupper Lake, one an 'old school' hardware store, we got to our site around 1:00pm.

Our site sucks...but we knew that going in. Once again last fall we got totally discombobulated by the longer NY State reservation window, and this site was all we could grab. It is one of those run off sites, where all the rain water flows through to get to the lake. We ended up closer to the road, trading off some partial sun which would have benefited our solar panels, for the only bit of level ground on the site.

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