US-Canada 2024-2: Doug Continues His Eastward Meandering

 May 17-27, 2024 

    Our 2024 Eastern Canada adventure began in mid-May when I departed home in our 17.5-foot Promaster van. Scenes from my first leg—from home to the Grand Canyon AZ, Valley of the Gods UT, and South Fork CO—are here. 

    I was 5 days and 1,072 miles from home when I once again found myself in a part of my father’s roots, Bird City, Kansas.

 

Garage of my father’s birthplace, Bird City KS.

    A bit of Snider history: At age 3, in 1919, my father, his mother, and his mother’s parents left Kansas in a Model T, bound for California. They returned for his older brother 3 years later. In 1971, after qualifying as a Navy helo pilot in Pensacola on my way to San Diego and ultimately SE Asia, I stopped in Bird City and met my paternal grandfather, step-grandmother, and their kids. In 1994, my brother and I took our father to Bird City, a grand experience. Now all that is left of the homestead is the garage. Life does go on. 

    Back to 2024. My trip was continuing as it had the first 5 days, meandering, stopping when I wished, finding a flat spot for the night. There was just a little blip when driving on a dirt road near Bird City, I was making a U-turn when I found that even a mere 6" off the road you can get stuck. As it had just rained, the clay was thick, and the van is only front-wheel drive. 

Clay-caked tires after being pulled out of the ditch.

Fortunately a father-son duo happened by and pulled me out. Good folks everywhere are happy to lend a hand. 

I saw a few of these “big game” ranches driving across the Midwest.

   Reaching the other side of Kansas, I crossed the Missouri River and was soon passing by St Joseph MO, childhood home of Marilyn's sons' dad. 

Passing by St Joseph MO.

    Marilyn recounts one of numerous visits: "To their grandmother's chagrin, we of course took the boys to see the home of Jesse James, most importantly to see the hole in the wall from the bullet that killed him. More sanguine is the Central Overland California & Pikes Peak Express Company, aka Pony Express National Museum." As for me, I did not visit these august locations.

    I continued east to Hannibal MO, on the Mississippi River. The birthplace of Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, had been a desired destination for decades. In anticipation, I had just finished listening to Tom Sawyer on Audible.

Mississippi River at Hannibal MO.

A modern steamboat on the Mississippi at Hannibal.

    It was rather enjoyable to just imagine the area back when The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn were written. I spent a relaxing afternoon just wandering around the town and the river. 

Looking to downtown Hannibal through one of several flood gates on the Mississippi River.

When the river rises, the floodgates are installed in the concrete walls. 

    Hannibal was a place I had to se, yet one time was sufficient. I must admit, however, that I never tire of seeing the Mississippi. 

    Once East of the Mississippi I found the country quickly changing. I remained determined to travel on Blue Highways (2-lane roads) but quickly found that to be difficult—unless I wished to go north to go east. Even when spending extra time on the old standby, paper maps, I found it more difficult to not just jump on a freeway.
     Ten days into my trip, I stopped at Land between the Lakes National Recreation Area in the northwest corner of Kentucky. When I got out to read a sign, the noise was so intense I thought my engine had a problem. I turned off the key and the noise remained—an aha moment and my first cicada serenade. There was a double brood of cicadas in 2024, the hatch of the 10- and 17-year types coinciding.

Camped on Lake Barkley, Land Between the Lakes, where I was constantly serenaded by cicadas.

   As the name implies, the area is bordered by two lakes, Kentucky and Barkley, both actually reservoirs. Kentucky Lake is on the Tennessee River, which begins a few hundred winding miles east near Knoxville. The Cumberland River arrives at Lake Barkley after hundreds of miles of twists and turns from near Baxter KY. The Cumberland then joins the Tennessee to flow into the Ohio. 

Barges coming down the Ohio River go through the Kentucky Lock to continue on the Tennessee River. 

Tennesssee & Cumberland River Watersheds: 1) Knoxville TN 2) Tennessee River 3) Kentucky Lake 4) Braxton KY 5) Cumberland River 6) Lake Barkley 7) Ohio River 8) 😎 9) Land Between the Lakes.

     From Land Between the Lakes, I moved on to Lake James near Marion, North Carolina, where my brother has a place. Though he was not in residence, I had a great camp site on the lake and spent time with his friends. Note: This campsite was later washed out when NC was hit by the remnants of Hurricane Helene. 

Lake James, NC.

      I had 13 days on this trek to make it from home to Marilyn's cousin Ann and husband Pete's in Portland CT. Knowing I can easily put in a 12-plus-hour day if needed, I usually just wander. I have a great bed and kitchen. I usually find a flat spot for the night. Every 3 to 5 days I stop at a campground for a shower and the other amenities. Whether solo or with Marilyn, there’s typically a stop for coffee or breakfast around 10:00 AM. Other meals come from whatever we picked up at the last fruit stand or grocery store. 

Blue Ridge Parkway: View toward Table Rock Mountain, 9 miles east.

    As I get closer to an arrival date, I begin to plan. So from Lake James, I gave myself 2 days on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina and Virginia, leaving a 620-mile push for the final day.

Apple trees were a staple of every homestead.

    A part of the National Parks, the Blue Ridge Parkway wanders for 469 miles through the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and Virginia. The parkway has hundreds of miles of trails, including parts of the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine and the Mountains to Sea Trail across North Carolina from the Great Smokies to the Outer Banks. It also offers biking, picnicking, camping, fishing, and music.

Camped at Mount Airy NC.

    The area represents the heritage of multiple cultures, especially Native American, African-American, and Scotch-Irish, as demonstrated by the variety of agriculture and music—old-time, bluegrass, ballads, blues, sacred. I stopped near Galax VA to listen to some old-time blue grass music for a couple of hours. 

An old time blue grass music gathering.

Old homestead in Virginia that had seen better days.

Another abandoned homestead off the Blue Ridge Parkway.

    The house in the photo above was intact and curtains were in the windows, yet the surrounding grass was over a foot high. It was almost as if they were keeping the house in case a family member wished to move in.

Curtains hang in windows, yet a vine covers much of the house.

Pine Spur Overlook, Blue Ridge Parkway near Calloway VA.

Taking a break to enjoy the view.

    Using the table in the back of the van and our Jet Boil stove, it’s a 3-minute endeavor to make coffee and find whatever snack may be in the fridge. This happens whenever I come upon a nice viewpoint in my travels. Traveling without a specific destination nor reservation leaves me free to stop whenever I wish. Stopping whenever got harder the further east I went, yet somehow it still seemed to work. 

Doug roughing it à la Mark Twain, though Twain's travels as recounted in Roughing It were by stagecoach.

    I got up early the final day, jumped on the freeway, and actually let my GPS get me through Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York to Portland CT. There was no meandering and I missed a lot, yet I knew that once at Ann (Marilyn's cousin) and Pete's, I not only had a shower but Marilyn and a lovely crew to enjoy.  

Total from home: 13 days. 4,039 miles.

    A note on the van: In the 13 days and 4,039 miles since leaving home, I had nary a problem. After showering my first morning in CT, I jumped in the van to go wash it only to be greeted by a blinking "light out" on the info display. I walked around the van 3 times and could not find the problem. So it was off to the local Dodge dealer and a talk with a “kid” about the light I could not find. A mere 15 minutes later, he and another “kid” came to find me—with that look of confidence and joy 🥹 I so love. Yep, they found the problem—the rear license plate light was out. They replaced it and charged me only the price of the bulb. Obviously I bent the Service Manager's ear with praise for his employees, then was off. 
    I must say, with 75,000 miles on the van, including trips to Alaska, Canadian Provinces from BC to Québec, the Pacific Northwest, and all around the Southwest, there have been minimal problems. When they do arise, the service from Dodge, be it my local Lampe Dodge or shops from Anchorage south, the service has been amazing.  

    Knock on wood and all—life is good.  

Our 2019 Promaster Van, 17.5 feet long & perfect. Boondocking on the beach on Brier Island, Nova Scotia later in our trip.

    After a few days in Connecticut, we'd be off for Saratoga Springs NY, Holland and Gloucester MA, and up the Maine Coast. And then would come the main event: sailing on the CAP ferry from Bar Harbor ME across the Gulf of Maine to Nova Scotia.