White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire

  The Tin Zen Den is making its way to the midwest.  Ranman has his first assignment in Ohio, so this is our first stop along the way.  I was expecting New Hampshire to be very similar to the Highlands Region in Maine..... I was wrong.  Yes, there are mountains all around, there are abundant ponds, lakes and streams.....but the temperature here is considerably warmer.
  We are still in moose country, so I am still hopeful about seeing one in this area but we are also in bear country....I don't want to see one of those.
  Our neighborhood for the next two nights is Moose Pond State Park. There is a lovely pond that has crystal clear water and is about nine feet at its deepest point.  The locals like the pond for swimming but all I can think about are snakes.  Don't ask me why I fear snakes in fresh water, I just do.  Besides, when you have lived next to Gulf Coast beaches for so long, a pond just doesn't substitute for the beautiful ocean.
 The campsite is just average, we are near a picnic area close to the "beach".

An apple tree at the park entrance.

Our campsite during our stay.

  The actual site is in the foreground where you see the picnic table and the Green Egg grill. We were allowed to park across the street from it because the site was narrow and not well shaded.  Not much

privacy as we were pretty much next to the road in either location.  I paid for two nights when we arrived, but we were not in love with the park and left after just one night.  We were still dry camping with no hook ups and it was too warm for the Frenchie.  Lesson learned.... do not pay for more than one night as a "walk up".  A good night's rest is all you need before moving along to better possibilities if something about your location isn't ideal.

Maine Highlands Region

   After being at Acadia National Park for eight days, Ranman and I were ready to move away from the coast and into the mountains. A couple of fellow campers recommended the Moosehead Lake region which is approximately located in the middle of Maine. The scenery is stunning and the wildlife is abundant.
  There are 2 resident does that hang around the beach picnic area and feed near the campsites. They will allow you to approach them and are even indifferent to cars as they pass by. We were also lucky to see a doe and her fawn. Even though I still haven't seen a moose, I am hopeful we will see one before leaving tomorrow for New Hampshire. There are signs everywhere cautioning motorists to be on the lookout for moose since the incidence of crashes is very high in this area.
  Lily Bay State Park is our current address. It is a very nice campgound with very large, private campsites. Even though there are no electric or water hookups, there is a very nice "comfort station" that has several large bathrooms with showers and flush toilets big enough for an entire family to use together. The cost for 3 nights was around $77.
  There is a small tourist oriented town nearby called Greenville. We have found very few good places to eat during our travels since tourist towns have a captive audience and don't go out of their way to "wow" you with their cooking. The exception in Greenville is a food truck operated by a single French (Canadian?) woman selling wonderful crepes. Her simple offerings far exceeded our expectations and I would not hesitate to recommend her food over any of the local and more expensive restaurants.
  After completing this trip and attempting to prepare for our next leg, I finally had to concede to getting a Garmin GPS device to assist us with navigation. Up until today, Austin and I have been guiding Randy and the Tin Zen Den through the use of my cell phone.  It has been working adequately, but there have been a handful of times where I missed a turn or was unsure if I was going the right way. I usually mapped out our route by getting a screen shot of the line by line text directions because actively navigating with Google or Maps was eating up our monthly data.
  This worked out just fine as long as there weren't too many quick turns. As a last resort, I would doublecheck our position with the apps, but found that our limited cellular coverage was impeding our progress AND my safe driving. All of this referrring to my IPhone or IPad was driving me a little batty and I was feeling a lot of pressure because it's hard to find a good place to turn around that Airstream when I screwed up!   Thankfully Randy has been the most patient of drivers and has never gotten upset over my mistakes. However, he does hate it when I get too far ahead of him on the highway :).
  We tested out the Garmin on the way back from Bangor and it is the bomb!  Unlike a cell phone, a Garmin uses coordinates from a satellite to navigate.   I have no idea why I was trying to make everything so difficult. I suppose I was trying not to have products that duplicate functions and I should have consulted some experienced car travelers for advice.... another lesson learned.
  Dinner was very good tonight. Ranman grilled steaks and I made a chimichurri sauce to accompany them. This Argentinian dish also works well on lamb or grilled fish.

Argentinian Chimichurri Sauce (Food Network)

1 cup lightly packed chopped flat leaf parsley
3-5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes
2 tblsp fresh oregano (optional)
2 tblsp chopped shallot or onion
3/4 cup olive oil
3 tblsp red or sherry wine vinegar
3 tblsp lemon juice

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until finely chopped, but not pureed.

Acadia National Park

  Our arrival yesterday to America's favorite National Park gave the Tin Zen Den and company a feeling of accomplishement.  Navigation and travel was uneventful,  we were even confident enough to go on an excursion to a neighboring town in pursuit of a small generator for our "apartment".
  We have been dry camping for 6 days now. In other words, no water or electric hookups and we have had essentially no cellular coverage. As you would imagine, the campsites here in Maine are thickly forrested, so our solar panels on the roof have been useless to us.  Hence, the need for a gasoline powered generator.  Now we are able to recharge our batteries in order to use the water pump, keep our phones and computers charged, and to use small appliances. Ahhhh, life is good!
  Last night Randy and I decided to give the fresh, local lobster another try. The lobster roll we had in Freeport was somewhat of a disappointment. It was the size of a ballpark hotdog but was priced anywhere from $15-$20.  This time, we bought the lobster from a local lobster pound and prepared it at home.  The lobsters were 1 1/2 lbs each and cost $44. Not what I would consider inexpensive, but certainly the freshness of the lobster was incomparable to what can be purchased at a seafood market anywhere else outside of Maine. It was much more flavorful than what I have sampled before and now I am a fan (but only if it is locally caught)!
  This is my favorite meal we have prepared so far while on the road. I hope you will give it a try.  I found the recipe online on Yahoo.

Grilled Lobster with Cilantro-Chile Butter

Rich, herbal cilantro butter spiked with chiles is the perfect dressing for elegantly simple grilled lobster.

SERVES 2–4

INGREDIENTS:
4 oz. unsalted butter, softened
3 tbsp. minced cilantro
4 Fresno or Holland chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1 lime, zested and quartered
2 2-lb. live lobsters
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. In a small bowl, stir together butter, cilantro, chiles, and lime zest; set aside. Using a heavy cleaver, split each lobster in half lengthwise through its head and tail. Scoop out and discard the yellow-green innards and cut off the claws. Transfer the lobster halves, shell side down, to a baking sheet; crack the lobster claws and transfer them to the baking sheet. Drizzle lobster halves and claws with oil and season with salt and pepper.

2. Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to medium-high. (Alternatively, heat a 12” cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat.) Place lobster halves (flesh side down) and claws on grill and cook for 5 minutes. Turn over lobster halves and claws and spread each with some of the cilantro–chile butter; continue cooking until cooked through, about 3 minutes more. Serve with lime wedges.

Our site at Blackwoods Campground

Resting while on a bike ride circling Acadia National Park

Picking wild blueberries

Seashore when the tide is out

Some photos taken while hiking up Cadillac Mountain

Good First Impression Maine

  Yesterday was finally a short leg for us on this epic, but overall long trip. It was a short 3 hour hop from Sturbridge, Massachusetts and extremely scenic, especially after reaching the Maine state line.  It took several hours before it registered with Ranman and me that we had actually MADE it.
   I, being head navigator, did not have an especially good day. We missed our first exit because the interstate sign did not match the directions being provided by the Maps app. Drat!!! When I finally made a turn to go back, I chose a residential street that was very lovely and charming. Unfortunately, Ranman followed me and I had no idea how or where we were going to turn around that 20 ft truck (Larry) and the 31 ft TZD!  After driving around for 10 minutes, Maps was finally able to route us in a short loop and back out to the main road. Whew, that was a real nail biter! Thankfully, I could not hear Ranman cursing at me as we were driving around aimlessly and the rest of the trip was uneventful.
  We arrived around midafternoon and after a quick huddle, had no trouble positioning TZD for a tremendous waterfront view of Casco Bay. Our roving apartment is at Wolfe's Neck Farm in Freeport, Maine. The farm is a nonprofit organization owned by the University of Maine. It practices organic farming and is a fun educational tool for children and adults, alike.  Farm tours allow you to visit the organic gardens, barnyard and take a haywagon ride.
  Although I would strongly recommend the farm's campground, it is pretty pricey and is the most expensive place we have stayed at, with our rustic waterfront site (no hookups) costing almost $60/night. There is an abundance of scenic camping
  For those of you that are familiar with outdoor sporting goods, you may recognize this town as the home of LL Bean.  Mainstreet is a tourist's destination with lot's of familiar retailers but it had a very quaint feel, much like you would expect in a New England village.

We had our first lobster roll waterfront at Harraseeket Lunch and Lobster in South Freeport

Wells State Park, Massachusetts

  This last leg of our trip before our final ascent to Maine has taken its toll on our chief driver, Ranman. After a grueling 7 1/2 hour drive, he scraped the bottom of TZD on the curb as he was rounding a turn toward our campsite.  Poor guy, he was tired and hungry and was just in a hurry to set up camp. We learned a valuable lesson to scout out the lay of the campground in Austin before driving the Airstream to our assigned spot.
  One of the rear stabilizing jacks was scraped up so badly it wouldn't extend out to do its job. Ranman was able to remove the jack and then demangled it with some pliers, a hammer, and a whole lot of brut strength.  After attaching it, the stabilizer worked perfectly. Ranman is now working his way up to be chief mechanic :-). Our list of minor repairs that need to be done at the Airstream service center in Ohio is growing.

  The featured restaurant according to our research is a "Southern Barbecue" joint.  I should have known from its location in Massachusettes that it would just be average.

Ranman is smiling because he hasn't tried the food yet

Central Pennsylvania

  After a somewhat frustrating start due to the well-meaning, but incomplete directions of some fellow campers, we are at Little Buffalo State Park. The park has a long history that can be traced back to the American Indians.  Buffalo once ranged in the area that is now enjoyed for its lake fishing, hiking, swimming, and camping in the summer.  There is also a public swimming pool, and several historic items of interest.
  If you desire to spend the night here, there are 40 campsites, camping cottages and a modern cabin that sleeps 12 people. The campsites mix RVs and tent campers--not necessarily a good thing for those that are trying to "rough it" on their camping outing. The campground sits on top of a mountain and is a little small.  The sites are closely spaced with not a lot of natural fauna. Our full hookup site was $39.50/night, not terribly expensive but I wish the setting was more woodsy.
  Remembering as a child when our family camped, I and my brothers wondered why people would ever want to camp in an RV.  Now as a much older adult with a husband and two dogs, I completely understand. Besides, if someone told me that I had to live in a tent and car camp while budget traveling the United States, I don't think we would be here today.  Life is just so much more pleasant with your own comfortable bed and a convenient bathroom while on the road.
  This morning Randy and I only hiked a portion of the 8 miles of interconnecting trails, which took about 2 1/2 hours.  The routes were short, but challenging because of the steep climbs. Its a good thing we fueled up with a great breakfast of Randy's famous buttermilk biscuits, turkey bacon, and yogurt with fresh blueberries and my homemade granola.

Featherweight Biscuits (Bon Appetit 1998)

Makes 12 biscuits

• 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup chilled buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450°F. Sift first 6 ingredients into large bowl. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk and stir until dough forms.

Turn dough out onto floured surface; knead until smooth, about 8 turns. Roll out dough to 1-inch thickness. Using 2-inch-diameter biscuit cutter or cookie cutter, cut out biscuits. Gather scraps; roll out to 1-inch thickness and cut out additional biscuits.

Transfer biscuits to large ungreased baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 12 minutes. Serve warm.