*Is this a mosquito?* Nope! It's an *insect...

Is this a mosquito? Nope! It's an insect spy drone already in production. It can be controlled from a great distance and is equipped with a camera, microphone. I can land on you and then use it's needle to take a DNA sample with the pain of a mosquito bite. Or it can inject a micro RFID tracking device under your skin. It can land on you and stay, so that you take it with you into your home. Or it can fly into a bulding thru a window. Read "The Transparent Society" by David Brin. View or comment on Jim Kelly's post »

Beware Google Navigate Campers!

We recently had terrible results in finding RV campgrounds using Google Navigate on our Android phone. While clearly sepecifying the RV component, we were getting results that were tent only, and ownership arrangements only, complete with mail boxes. When you are at the end of a day of driving, you want a little more reliability than that.

Recommend keeping your AAA Campguide as still the most reliable source for a given locale. The latter is highly recommended. Don't bother with Google until they implement some major improvements.

Not surprisingly, Google Maps does exactly the same thing, except that it is a little clearer that many of the return are non-RV. If there are better alternatives, please let us know via the comment section.

Sleepy Hollow Lake, Akron NY

As we finish up our week on the road, we drove halfway back and stopped for the evening in Sleepy Hollow Lake RV Resort in Akron, NY just outside of Buffalo. This is a pretty nice resort, with lots of RVs, but not many occupants on this Wednesday evening. Nice lake with paddle boats, decent showers and very reasonable tariff. Just a short hop off of I90 to boot.

With the evening temperature dropping into the 40s, the few campers here are the hearty variety.

Word of caution about the showers. There is a big propane tank outside the shower house. My shower ran cold far a couple of minutes, then warmed up nicely but for only about a minute and a half. Then it was icy. A mite hard to explain, but its possible I was the lucky one to tap out the gas bottle. Might be best to ask about the hot water status in advance.

St Thomas Aquinas, Dover NH

Graduation 2012

Stratham Beats Exeter

Nephew Dan, was the starting catcher, crafty base-runner, and center fielder in the stunning 8 to 7 win for Stratham over neighboring Exeter. The victors' early lead held up for the duration of the match, but the tension was high as Exeter finally got warmed up and showed some hefty competition.



Part Deux

The following day, a rematch with another 1 run victory.

Webster Sturbridge Family Campground, MA

There are few campgrounds left in this area of expensive real estate and mountainous terrain. As a result the approval standards to assess a sites quality and friendliness have deteriorated. Nonetheless, there are some basic standards of cleanliness that ought to be observed.

Sadly this not true in this case here. No cleaning had gone on in either the bathrooms, or  the assigned site itself for many a moon. As for the office/store the mildew is on the verge of victory. The AAA endorsement, is meaningless in this case. State parks are generally much cleaner than this campground.

Drive on unless you are desperate to stop.

http://www.webstercamp.com/

Twin Grove Campground, PA

Super camp site at bargain rates! We backtracked from Pottsville to stay here, and were well rewarded with the experience. Beautiful grounds, large pools with swim lanes and slides. Immaculate plumbing facilities. Given the scarcity of campgrounds as one travels to the northeast, this is a true gem.

Also, a very good restaurant with a wide selection of individually prepared dishes, at very reasonable prices. Do not miss this.  http://www.twingrove.com/

Yuengling Brewery, Pottsville, PA

The factory tour of the oldest brewery in America, is a worthwhile stop for all but the tea-est of totalers. The caves used to cool the beer in the 1800's are still to be seen, as well as the fed's prohibition era brick walls that closed them off from use. Our guide Joann was as amusing as the subject was interesting. Plus, I've really gained a taste for that Pennsylvania working-mans brew -- could it be in my genes?



As long as the last remaining few hold out, each tourist gets a poplar bung as a souvenir of the tour. But Joann says that won't be true much longer.

Super well-worth a stop when you are in the area. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuengling

Luke's American Grille - Gettysburg

Lynne's cousin started a new venture in downtown Gettysburg. Luke's American Grille is just what you might expect, with donuts. In an area with plenty of casual dining competition, it will test the mettle of these fierce entrepreneurs. I hope they are getting more than their share of the region's business and support from our small-business friendly administration.

We sampled the donuts and coffee, and came away very impressed.

Jellystone RV Park, Natural Bridge VA

Gravel roads, take me home... Virginia on $56 per night. But you do get the use of the pool and putt putt. The plumbing is newer, but some are obviously smoked in. Occupancy is about as low as the pricing would suggest.

Probably a decent place to drop a pack of kids for the week, but I would guess that most would soon bore themselves up to the next level of demands. The visit from Yogi was a very nice touch.

Overall not so enthusiastic from my 67 year-old standpoint.

http://www.campnbr.com/

Baileyton RV Park, TN

A delightful quiet little park off I81 in northeast Tennessee. Driving range, fishing pond, extensive picnic grounds, immaculate showers and restrooms. Crushed stone roads and drives, are the only negatives we could find. A perfect after-dinner stop on our way further northeast.

http://www.baileytonrvpark.com/

Knoxville Competition

Competing at the Tennessee Volunteer Glock Shootout V. Shooting both a Glock 19 and 26 9mm. The 19 is a compact model on which I have a couple of months experience. The 26 is a subcompact which I have had for only a couple of weeks. I improved a little from May, but still need more work on the plates.

Cumberland Falls St Pk KY

Turning West off of I75, we filled up in Corbin, only $3.30 per gallon. That was a refreshing 35 cents lower than what we were used to. On to Cumberland Falls, about 15 more miles of very hilly forest road. Quite a few spots available for the first weekend in June, I'd say. Many spots to rent horses and canoes for the adventurous. Very lucky to have an extension cord of 30 amps to reach the outlet on the wrong side of the site.



The major highlight is the weather. We thought it important to get South out from under the rain clouds, and were rewarded with a splendid mix of high puffy clouds, sun and 72 degrees. About as perfect as anyone needs. Kicking back for the rest of the day...


Cumberland Falls State Park, Kentucky

London, KY

Morty is on the road again. After a 14 month hiatus healing some torn quad ligaments, we are headed to Niece Julia's graduation in New Hampshire with a stop in Tennessee to compete in our new hobby. We are stopped for the night in London, KY which is a mere 40 miles or so from our old friend Tim, but will come again in a couple of weeks to visit him... So far just asphalt and road food. Perhaps tomorrow's stop in Cumberland Falls will have some interesting pics.


It is something though how hitting the RV road gets my blogging juices flowing...