Summer in New England

It has been a busy summer. Sarah and I arrived home with the Mary Joan III the first week of May. We are building a garage/workshop. The garage will be a place to store the Mary Joan and TV during the summer with a metals studio for Sarah and a woodworking shop for me on the second floor. There will also be a lean to on the western side that will house our newly purchased Ranger Tug for the winter months. We had hoped to have the building weather tight by now, but unforeseen circumstances have caused delays such that the foundation has just now been completed. 

Ready to pour

Since we believed the demands of the construction could tie us too tightly to the project, Sarah came up with the great idea to secure a camping site for the summer season at Fort Getty Park in Jamestown, Rhode Island. On Conanicut Island in the middle of Narragansett Bay, Jamestown is a beautiful village of 5,000 people. The campground overlooks Dutch Harbor where we used to keep Orinoco, our 38' Shannon Ketch. This turned out to be a great decision. We could escape the yard work or the days of oppressive heat with a short drive to Rhode Island. There is always a breeze on the island. 

Evening sky Conanicut Island

While the delays in construction were disappointing, they allowed us to accept sailing invitations. The first was in early June to help deliver a sailboat from Tortola to Connecticut with my friend, Captain Jim. The boat was a beautiful Hallberg Rassy. 

Later in the month I was asked to crew on a J80 in the New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta and the Block Island Race Week Storm Trisail Club races. I had never been on a racing boat before and welcomed the experience. I had forgotten how quickly things happen on a small boat. But, Captain Pete was patient with this "newbie" and we all had a great time. 

Block Island Race Week

Then in July, Jim asked Sarah and I to help bring the Hallberg Rassy from Newport, RI to Camden, ME. We were happy to spend a week on this classic boat and spend some time in a beautiful harbor. As an added bonus, we were asked to help sail a 90' Catana catamaran back to Massachusetts from Boothbay Harbor. The two boats could not have been more different. The Hallberg Rassy is a tried and true design with a strong pedigree. The Catana was a first of its kind, never before attempted one off. The H/R is a traditional deep keel, center cockpit sailboat. The Catana is an ultra modern high tech boat with expansive staterooms in addition to complicated and sophisticated sail handling equipment. 

Hallberg Rassy

Curtis Island Light, Camden, Maine

Camden, Maine

Rockport, Maine

The sailing each way across the Gulf of Maine was comfortable and uneventful except for the return trip whereupon we encountered numerous pods of whales. It was late afternoon as we neared Race Point off the tip of Cape Cod that we began to see whales. Over the course of two hours we must have seen fifty or more whales, both fin back and northern right whales. One fin back whale came within twenty feet of the bow of our boat. We left the whales and found anchorage behind the curved arm of the cape for the night at Provincetown. The next morning, after checking tides and currents for the Cape Cod canal, we departed Provincetown for our destination of Fairhaven on Buzzards Bay. Both the captain and I checked and double checked that the mast of this boat, at 127' plus antennae would fit under the bridges and power lines before committing to transiting the canal. However, as we approached the the Bourne bridge, I noticed that there was a scaffolding suspended from beneath the bridge from which workers were doing repair work. The captain quickly stopped the boat and called the canal authorities to check on the clearance. Stopping a 90' boat in the Cape Cod canal with a 3-4 knot current pushing you toward the bridge is no small feat. Meanwhile, I checked the tide chart and saw that we were 3 feet below high tide. The canal authorities told us we had five feet to spare which agreed with the tide charts. We proceeded through very slowly as the workers on the staging gathered, watched and finally gave a thumbs up as we went under the bridge. 

Time spent on these boats allowed me to assess my desires to be on the water and have my own boat once again. I concluded that we no longer needed a boat capable of crossing oceans and that we would probably spend less than two weeks at any one time living on board. I also didn't want to have to keep her in marina or on a mooring, so a trailerable boat was appealing. The Ranger Tug 27' came to the top of the list. We could tow her with the truck we use for the Mary Joan. That will allow us to bring her to Maine over the road rather than bringing her on her own bottom, saving time and money. We also realized that even though our previous boat was a sailboat, we had to use the motor more than 25% of the time to get to where we wanted to go. After much searching on the internet, we found a 2012 Ranger Tug 27' that had been used as a show model at the boat shows. Even though it is a 2012, it is considered "new" and comes with complete warranty. We made the deposit on the day of the blue moon, sometimes also called the "red moon" at harvest time. So, we named the boat Luna Rossa. She has about the same amount of space as the Mary Joan, so those familiar with an Airstream can appreciate how comfortable we will be. 

Luna Rossa

Stay tuned.

Martin Guitar tour in Nazareth, Pennsylvania

C. F. Martin & Co., Nazareth, PA

At the Airstream factory we met Vaughn and Carol. They are full-timers and, like so many Airstream owners, are very interesting people. Vaughn is an accomplished guitar and violin maker. He entertained us for hours talking about the craft of the luthier. At his suggestion we stopped at the Martin Guitar factory in Nazareth, PA to take the tour. 

 We arrived at 11:00 AM, just in time for the first tour. We parked the TV and Mary Joan in the employees parking lot where there was plenty of room, although it meant backing up and turning around when it came time to leave. 

Our tour guide and a giant Martin Guitar

The C. F. Martin Company has been making guitars for 180 years. It is a family owned business now being run by sixth generation CEO, Christian Frederick Martin IV. Martin guitars have been the acoustic guitar of choice of many celebrated musicians including Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, John Lennon , Paul McCartney, Paul Simon and Eric Clapton to name just a very few. 

Rough cut out necks before shaping

Custom Guitar Being Built

Customizing with different woods and inlays

 The trip to the C. F. Martin Company was important to me because I first started playing guitar with an inexpensive, foreign made guitar when I was in high school . In college I bought a better guitar, but I had played on a friend's Martin and the ease of playing the Martin was astounding. When I graduated and had my first job, even though my rusted out Plymouth Duster needed to be replaced, my first purchase was a 1979 Martin D-28 dreadnought guitar. The D-28 is the flagship guitar produced by Martin and is the guitar many great musicians have selected for their personal use. 

In the Museum, a highly decorated guitar

We were fortunate that only one other person was with us on the first tour of the morning. Bill, from California, was here to pick up his custom made tenor guitar and ukulele that are replacements for ones stolen over a year ago. The tenor guitar that was stolen was once played by Dave Guard of the Kingston Trio.

Bill is happy with his new tenor guitar

Beverley, our tour guide, took us first through the custom guitar building section. In this area, the instruments are made to order with many details available beyond those of the production instruments. Different woods used for the guitar are available as are custom inlays on the fretboard, front, back, headstock and pickguard.  The company will work with the new owner, artist and luthier to make the perfect guitar.

Laying out a top in the custom area

Putting finishing touches on the top bracing. The bracing of the Martin Guitar is probably the most important reason for the instrument's success and endurance.

What most impressed me, though, is that the production guitars are made to the same high standards as the custom built. The impressive computer controlled woodworking machines appeared to make the individual pieces of a guitar mate with one another that no human could possibly duplicate. To my mind, the only reason to buy a custom Martin guitar is to get a style they no longer produce, as was the case with Bill, or to have a guitar that looks like no other (even though it may not sound or play any better than a production instrument). 

Shaping a neck in the custom area

There is a small museum at the factory highlighting the long history of C. F. Martin and the instruments that have been made by them during the last 180 years. It was from this museum that Bill came to have his 1940's tenor guitar remade. The company took an identical guitar from the museum and had it x-rayed to see how it was constructed since there were no drawings of the internal bracing and neck structure to guide them in remaking the instrument. 

Final polishing to perfection by a robot

Some jobs cannot be mechanized.

After visiting Nazareth, we stopped at Stokes State Forest for the night because it was just a few miles from Milford, Pennsylvania where we wanted to visit Grey Towers, the home of the father of the U.S. Forest Service, Gifford Pinchot, . Pinchot brought scientific method to manage the forests for the greatest good of the country. He balanced conservation and production so that a sustainable forest would endure. Private interests were not happy with his ideas of conservation and got an amendment attached to an agriculture bill that would strip the President from protecting more land as National Forests. President Theodore Roosevelt with Pinchot's guidance, created what is now known as the "Midnight Forests" by declaring, at the last minute, before the law took effect, millions of acres protected and designated National Forests. 

Approaching Grey Towers

Magnificent architecture

Grey Towers was not officially open yet, but a sign on the door said to knock if we had any questions. Melody graciously answered the door and offered to give us a brief tour. The home is beautiful and the grounds appeared to be at their glory on this clear spring morning. 

An elegant home and a gracious host, Melody.

After our visit, we pointed the TV toward home and are now enjoying the beauty of spring in New England. Stay tuned.

At The Factory

Airstream Factory, Jackson Center, Ohio

When we bought the Mary Joan III it didn't have solar panels or an electrical inverter. The Mary Joan II had both of these and Sarah and I have come to depend on them because it gives us the freedom to boondock for extended periods. We found that we could go for five days without the need to run the generator to recharge the batteries. With the panels we have just installed we should be able to extend that a few more days since these solar panels will provide 290 watts rather than the 160 watts that we had on Mary Joan II. The inverter allows us to use the coffee grinder, computer and cell phone battery chargers, television and vacuum cleaner.

We discovered a few problems that needed to be repaired under warranty. Most of them were minor but one was critical. Airstream has added a new feature on our trailer. In addition to the power receptacle near the rear of the trailer, they have placed a second one at the front to make it easier to run a generator mounted on the bed of the tow vehicle. This arrangement requires a circuit board and relay to detect which receptacle is being used and to send the power from that receptacle to the power distribution panel. That circuit board and relay failed soon after we bought the trailer leaving us with not 110 volt electricity. The minor issues were related to improperly calibrated holding and water tank sensors. These sensors let us know how full the tanks are.

We chose to come to the factory since it is on our way home from Kentucky and we can stay in our trailer each night after the workers have finished for the day. They pick up the trailer at 7 AM from the "Terra Port" and return it at 4 PM. They have a very comfortable lobby with free coffee and reliable WiFi. There is also a small parts and supplies store where I bought LED lights to replace some fluorescent and halogen light bulbs. These will help us conserve energy and make our new solar panels that much more useful.

In the Terra Port

Mary Joan II being taken inside

Mary Joan III in the work bay

While waiting for the work to be completed we work on the blog and edit pictures. We also meet other Airstream owners who are having work done on their trailers and motorhomes. Sarah and I enjoy meeting these very friendly and interesting people. They come from all parts of the United States and Canada and they all have wonderful stories to tell and hints, tips about RVing in general and Airstreams in particular.

Spacious and comfortable lounge area

Factory tours are given every day at 2 PM. The tour begins in the lobby and is directed by Don, a long time Airstream employee. We took the tour the first time we came to Jackson Center so we didn't go again. But, we enjoyed  listening to Don's introduction each day. While his talk was basically the same, he always changed it slightly and added minor details that we hadn't heard before.

This early Airstream was completely restored.

In the nearby town of New Bremen is the very interesting Bicycle Museum of America. Just 18 miles to the west, this quaint little town is worth the trip if you are having work done at the factory or just passing through this part of Ohio. On the recommendation of other Airstream owners who had gone we decided to make the short drive. We arrived at the museum just as it opened and at the same time as another couple. The four of us were the only visitors in the museum.  Jim was at the desk this morning. After playing an introductory video for us, he gave us a narrated tour of the museum making sure to highlight the most significant items in the museum. We spent two hours looking at all the bicycles and bicycle memorabilia and learning about the history and development of the bicycle. Not only were many of them technical marvesl, in many cases they were also works of art. Sarah's only disappointment was that there wasn't a bamboo bicycle in the exhibit.

Bicycle Museum of America

Jim gave us a wonderful tour

The 1,000,000th Shwinn came off the line in 1916

Beautifully executed wooden frame

c. 1890 Columbia Military Bicycle

Lock on the Miami & Erie Canal

Just outside the museum is a preserved piece of history. The Miami & Erie Canal passed through the center of New Bremen. Constructed between 1825 and 1845, the canal connected the Erie Canal to the Ohio River. In the center of town is a small park wherein there is a lock and portion of the canal that has been restored. It was interesting to read about how important the canal was and what economic benefits it brought to the town. 

Here is link to the town website with information about the canal.

We hope to have all of our repairs completed today and continue on our way home. We plan to stop in Cleveland to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Stay tuned.

Return to Louisville

Sarah, Becca and John in the river front park, waiting for the show.

 Our son John and his wife Becca live in Radcliff, Kentucky just south of Louisville. John is stationed at Fort Knox, but he will be deployed to Afghanistan in a few weeks. We could not pass by without spending some time with the young couple.

The drive from Nashville to Louisville was very pleasant. It was a warm clear day and the redbud trees were beautiful against the pale spring green of the trees. As usual we stayed off the highway and enjoyed the pleasant rolling landscape as we traveled north.

We stayed at a pleasant campground in Elizabethtown that was a short drive from John and Becca's apartment. They came to see the new trailer and stayed for dinner. We discovered that the celebration leading up to the Kentucky Derby, Thunder Over Nashville, was happening the weekend that we were there. Thunder Over Nashville is huge party on the riverfront in the downtown area. Beginning 11AM,  the city provides musical entertainment and an airshow during the day. Then the largest and most elaborate fireworks display happens soon after dark. Finally for those with more stamina and a desire to party can continue at the many clubs and bars on 4th St.

Happy Couple

Watching the eight barges bearing the pyrotechnics being towed into position we knew we were in for a major fireworks demonstration. We were not disappointed. Four barges went to the west and the other four remained close in front of us. The display was loud, bright, colorful and continuous. Each of us were amazed at the intensity of the show. We were on the south side of the river and the wind was from the northwest. The result was that we were showered with soot from the burnt gunpowder. At one point the fallout actually irritated our eyes. It was a small price to pay for such an amazing fireworks display.

More than a half million turn out for Thunder Over Louisville

Mammoth Caves is just an hour south of Elizabethtown so we decided to spend the next day visiting the national park. We signed up for the Snowball tour that took us more than 200 feet below ground in an ancient underground riverbed. Unlike Carlsbad Caverns, this cave lacks the dramatic colors of stalagmites and stalactites. But we were impressed with the gypsum formations, the smoke writing left by early explorers of the cave. Mostly, we were impressed with the immensity of this system of over 400 miles of continuous caverns.

Gypsum "Snowballs" on the ceiling of the cave

Smoke writing left in the 1860s

We shared one more dinner with Becca and John. It was nice seeing how settled into their new apartment they are. Becca has done a nice job making their small space feel comfortable. We said our goodbyes fairly early because John has to report for duty very early each morning. And, we have an appointment for some minor warranty to work to be done on the Mary Joan in Jackson Center, Ohio where Airstreams are manufactured.

Stay tuned.

On Our Way to Nashville

Just outside of Birmingham, Oak Mountain State Park was a convenient place to stop for the night. Since we didn't leave Florence Marina until late in the day, we appreciated the short drive to Oak Mountain because it left us with enough time to enjoy a 4 mile hike that afternoon. The GPS and Google Maps got us to the campground with no problem. After unhitching and getting leveled, and connecting water and electricity we needed to go to town to buy food for our cat, Dot. This time Google Maps directed us to another entrance to the park that required us to ford fairly deep water at a causeway. It was no problem for the truck, but it would have not been possible to take the trailer across. Just happy it didn't do that on the way in.

I have a colleague who worked with me for a few years who is now living just north of Birmingham. Despite the short notice, she invited us to her home for dinner the next evening and offered to let us park in her driveway. After doing laundry Sarah and I drove into downtown Birmingham with the Mary Joan in tow. Since it was Sunday, we had no problem negotiating the city streets and even finding a place to park just a block from the art museum. I'm glad we didn't have to plug the parking meters because we occupied four parking spaces.

We arrived at Brian and Nicole's home early in the evening. Their beautiful home sits high on a mountain with spectacular views of the tree covered Alabama hills to the north. We shared stories, caught up on family happenings and enjoyed a wonderful dinner. When Brian and Nicole offered us the guest bedroom, we retorted that we were the perfect house guests because we brought our house with us. We saw Nicole and Brian's two delightful young girls off to school said our goodbyes and continued on our northward journey.

Nicole, Brian, Sarah and Abigail

On our way south in January we passed through Nashville, but in late January it was too risky to spend much time and the weather, while better than Massachusetts, was not free from winter hazards. This time we could stop and enjoy the city. 

Conveniently located just 25 minutes from downtown Nashville, we set up camp at the Army Corps of Engineers campground at Seven Points. Besides being in the perfect location, the price could not be beat. With our National Parks Golden Years pass we enjoyed a 50% discount that resulted in our paying just $12 per night for a waterfront campsite with water and electricity. 

Beautiful campsite at Seven Points Campground on J. Percy Priest Lake near Nashville, TN

There are so many venues offering live music in Nashville on any given day making choices difficult. We turned to the internet to peruse the booking calendars of the clubs and theaters, determined who was playing then used Youtube to listen to a sample of the music each performer plays. We love technology.

For our first evening out, we went to The Station Inn where we enjoyed the bluegrass and old time music of "New Monday". The atmosphere of the Station Inn is very relaxed, with performers sitting at nearby tables or at the bar. A guest mandolin player sat at the table in front of us (sorry I can't remember his name) and Ashley Campbell, daughter of Glenn Campbell, sat at the bar. The Station Inn serves good pizza, but its adult beverage menu is limited to beer.

Old Time Music at The Station Inn

Ashley Campbell with New Monday

A little to the northeast of Seven Points Campground is The Hermitage, the home of General Andrew Jackson and seventh President of the United States. The story of his life is told well at this beautifully restored and preserved historic landmark. 

Visiting the many homes of former presidents, like we have done, has greatly increased my determination to read a well researched and documented biography of each of our presidents. The history most  my generation learned in grammar and high school does not tell the complex stories that are the true lives of these men and the women that shared their lives. Discovering the manifold aspects of their personalities and the times in which they lived helps put modern social and political difficulties that our current politicians deal with in a perspective that helps me understand them better. The truth be told, however, it is difficult to refrain from becoming a cynic when comparing today's leaders with those of our past. 

Andrew Jackson's Home, The Hermitage

Rachel and Andrew Jackson's Tomb

Most of Jackson's enslaved people chose freedom. George, Jackson's personal attendant stayed and was "rewarded" with a grave next to Jackson's tomb. 

It happened that a major fund raising concert to benefit the Country Hall of Fame was happening during our stay. We were able to get tickets online the day we arrived. Prior to the show we ate at The Silly Goose. Sarah had the Grouper and I had the chicken with red lentils. Great food. 

The concert, All For The Hall, was held at the Bridgestone Arena. I was a little concerned about the size of the arena and being too far from the stage. My fears were unjustified. Our seats were on the first mezzanine just to the right of the stage. We had wonderful views and the acoustics were better than I would have expected for such a large space. Keith Urban, along with Vince Gill,  hosted a three hour plus concert with both contemporary and classic country musicians such as Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson  Sheryl Crowe, Roseanne Cash and Hank Williams, Jr. among many others. It was non-stop energetic music.

Host Kith Urban. We couldn't see his wife, Nicole Kidman, but we knew she was behind and above us because he frequently gestured to her when he was playing accompaniment to the main act.

The indomitable Hank Williams, Jr.

Willie being Willie

The next morning we drove to Franklin. It is a small town about 20 miles south of Nashville. I heard it was a pretty town with lots of antique shops and boutiques. It was also the site of what was described as the most important battle of the Civil War "about which nobody knows".That piqued my interest and certainly described my knowledge, so off to Franklin we went. 

Having visited Gettysburg and Andersonville, I anticipated that the visit to the Battle of Franklin historic site would take a couple hours, leaving us time to browse a few of the many antique shops in town. Sarah and I could not have been more amazingly mistaken. There are visitor's centers associated with each of the three sites that comprise the current historical site that tells the history of the Battle of Franklin. 

In our travels, we have enjoyed many fine tour guides at parks and historic sites who were supremely knowledgeable and caring about their given territory. But we have never experienced any group as passionate as the people here. They not only gave the who, what when, where and why, but also the emotional and lasting effects of the compelling stories they recounted. 

Carnton Plantation
Offered by the owner to be used as a hospital for Confederate casualties. Blood stains on the floors are a vivid reminder of the horrors of the Civil War. 

The main story is of the Confederate Army winning a battle but losing the war. That grandscale irony was juxtaposed with small scale personal ironies and life altering experiences of the families affected. How the name Carnton Plantation forebode one of today's functions of the place. How a young man left his home to fight and survive numerous battles, only to lay injured and dying on the battlefield yards from his home and die his father's arms in that home. How a six year old girl witnessed the most horrific sights and smells of war and death and dying yet went on to become a strong independant woman and an accomplished artist. 

Built in 1826 by Randall McGavock a first generation Irish immigrant, Carnton comes from the Scottish word "cairn" which means pile of stones, usually used to mark a sepulchre.  Now it is the burial ground for thousands of dead soldiers.

After visiting the Carnton Plantation, we had a nice lunch at the Franklin Mercantile Deli then visited the Carter House and finally the Lotz house. If you visit, I recommend that you start at the Carnton Plantation then procede tothe  Carter house and finish at the Lotz house in that order. The Carter and Lotz houses are just a half mile from Franklin center and would be a pleasant walk. 

The Carter House.
Numerous bullet holes in several buildings tell the story of the horrible battle that occurred here.

J.T. our guide of the Lotz House.

Our heads were "full" when we left Franklin. We drove north into Nashville to the only Trader Joe's in the Nashville area.  Along the way on the Hillsboro Pike we passed many mansions that would challenge those of Newport, RI in their grandiosity. I could only presume they were the homes of music celebrities and recording studio executives. 

The next show was at the Belcourt Theater to see Billy Bragg. The venue was small and intimate. Once more, we were treated to fine music. Billy played some old hits and many songs from his newest title. With Woody Guthrie as a major influence, those who are not of a liberal mindset might not appreciate his on stage political comments. For us, however, he was preaching to the choir. We bought a couple CDs that Billy graciously autographed for us.

Billy Bragg

We are now facing the next difficult decision of where to spend our last evening in Nashville before moving on to visit our son and daughter-in-law in Kentucky. Stay tuned.