Terri and Peter's RV Adventures

This campground has stirred up unexpected memories and perspective.  We have almost entirely stayed in RV parks, occasionally state or regional campgrounds and Harvest Hosts that have hook ups.  With no hook ups, Black Woods Campground attracts mostly tent campers plus people like us who are willing to “boondock” (camp without hook ups). We’ve haven’t done any boondocking because we like having wifi and Starlink requires power: either an electric hook up or a powerful generator.  

 Watching these “young people” tent camping jolted me in the knowledge that I’m no longer that young.  (I know, we are the last to see it in ourselves.) 

I’ve been tent camping since I was ten months old.  It’s been a very comforting, enjoyable thing to do.  Being surrounded by these tent campers initially induced guilt; that I was cheating by camping in a trailer.  But I reframed it as a natural evolution in my camping history and trajectory:  this trailer and camping with a man who shares this interest and love of adventure, is a way that allows me to continue to travel, be close to and revel in nature, while catering to my physical needs as they are emerging at this point in my life. 

Late morning, we jumped in the truck and explored more of the island, hiking a simple, flat trail around Jordan Pond.  This hike largely was on a wooden boardwalk, the longest boardwalk I’ve ever walked as part of a trail.  It must have stretched at least a mile; two boards wide with a “pull out” every 200 yards or so to allow people coming the opposite direction to pass.  The pond is a drinking water reservoir and the water so clear you think you could touch the boulders and smooth rocks easily a foot below the surface. It was torturous for Lily; water so near and yet so far (no pets allowed in the water) but that torture was somewhat tempered by the unending adoration she received from the people passing us from the opposite direction. The oohs and ahhhs and someone saying “Hi Sweetie” (knowing they weren’t talking to me), were very sweet.  Even Cali got some love and a lot of admiration for her courageousness in doing this hike.  She was startlingly spry and eager to follow along.

After Jordan’s Pond, we drove up Cadillac Mountain, kind of a must-do around here.  It was a nice drive but as soon as we reached the top, we were fogged in.  Heading a quarter of the way downhill, we emerged from the fog and were gifted with a beautiful vista of lakes, deep green carpets of forest and rolling hills in the distance.  It gave us a bigger picture of the larger area.

We were happy to be back at camp and have befriended a couple from Maine who are testing out their trailer in preparation for a longer trip later this summer to parts west.  They definitely share our political persuasion and also raved about The Maritimes.  They loaned us a fantastically long, accordion type hose (Pocket Hose for you RVers) that’s now become our next must have.  It extended 200 yards to the nearest faucet where we were able to refill our fresh water.  It’s amazing how many gadgets there are and things that become necessities if you want to boondock.  

Icing on the cake was a parting of the clouds and a flash of blue sky and warming sun.  It didn’t last long but at least it reminded me that this cloud thing too shall pass and one of these days, we’ll see the sun again and warm up.