Watny Goes to New England

Life happened since our Trailer Swift coast-to-coast trip.

Part of life happening was the desire for an upgrade in our on-wheels accomodations. Summer of 2021 we said goodbye to our well travelled Trailer Swift – after the last voyage to Cape Charles (Virginia) in Kiptopeke State Park. Sol made a 32 hour straight round trip to Tennessee to pick up our next adventure: A big silver oblong guy we named Watny… For his space-y look and out-worldly, more like Martian, features. And the need to build everything ourselves.

New to us Watny is my contemporary, and, due to this, required some TLC before we could put it to use. TLC included a complete tear down and replacement of all electric, plumbing, water storage, propane systems, as well as walls, insulation, floor, complete rebuild of all features and furnishings, including a tow vehicle and a bright red refrigerator (our dream).
All done by the hands of solely Sol.

Naturally, it was all to be done in couple of months. Naturally, it took 7 times as long and we stopped counting at 5 times the budget. It is turning out exquisite, however, and I am forever amazed at my husband’s skill and finesse.

This fall 2022 we are taking 80% complete Watny to his birthplace – New England. He was first owned in Maine.

September 16-17, 2022
After last minute construction efforts in the morning and with tremendous help from Sol’s mom, we set out in the usual compilation: same two adults who got older, same two kids who got bigger, same dog who could not possibly get any bigger but somehow did.

At night we met up with our cousins at a campground in Massachusetts and, for the first full day of the trip, Sol and other adults take all the kids to Six Flags New England to ride every crazy rollercoaster while I hang back with Darwin and his new puppy cousin Rocket. Doggos are fine and by walk #4 of the day we all figure out how to move together without dislocating my shoulders.

Next day we make an 8 hour trek to our destination for the next three days – Acadia National Park in Maine.

September 18, 2022
We arrive and set up camp in the rain and it’s chilly but the kids, nonetheless, get on their bikes and are off to explore the grounds and nearby play structures. They return soaked and hungry, so, the day is a success. After dinner we give a try to entertaining at our new home on wheels and everyone fits! Kids catch a movie, adults catch up with conversations, dogs catch up on snoozing.

September 19, 2022

Next day promises good weather and we have grand plans immediately upon waking up and a pancake breakfast.

We start at Hulls Cove Acadia visitor center and learn the free in-park bus system Island Explorer allows Dogs! It truly makes logistics of transport within the park so much easier.

Kids pick up their junior ranger packets and We immediately hop on and are so excited that Sol leaves his phone in one of the seats (the bus driver fonds it and we collect it from the depot later)

We ride to our first destination – Sand Beach. On the bus Tamara informs me that it’s called that because it’s the only sandy beach in the park. At the beach it is not swimming weather but Darwin does not care. He immediately follows his routine of getting in the water and rolling in the sand (we call it ‘exfoliation regimen’ )

Kids spend some time in the tide pools looking at various sea life and making notes in their junior ranger journals. it is not long until Tamara pulls our a giant crab out of the water much to the delight of the seagull parked nearby.

Next, we make our way up the ocean view walk (some of us on the gravel road at the top while others scouring cliffs near the water ). We meet up at thunder cove where water is pushing air into the cave and produces loud ’boom’ sound. We are lucky to hear it once.

We hike some more and hop on the bus again back to the visitors center. For the afternoon we are checking out the town of Bar Harbor (or as locals call it ’Bah Habba’). We find a brightly colored and out of tune piano in the local park and I play a little to mine and kids’ satisfaction. another park visitor catches up with us and he actually identified a piece i was playing.

We are quickly rained into a local restaurant for a late lunch. Doggies wish there was a dog menu.

Night is rainy and we hang inside our Watny with some musical instruments, hot cocoa, and a conversation

September 20, 2022
Next day is chilly but rain stays away for the day. Today we are after experience of walking across to the island off the coast of Bar Harbor. We walk on the ocean floor as the water recedes around noon (water stays low enough for people to walk across to to the island but there is a risk to be stranded once the water is back).

It’s a chilly walk but Darwin does not care, he is getting into water every chance he gets

The island is beautiful and has some great hikes, and, as kids soon discover, some really high cliffs to scour .. much to parental shagreen

For the afternoon, we leave our husbands and dogs at the camp and catch a bus to South Harbor for some exploration in local botany and ice cream shops.

Night is al-fresco dining on some quesadillas and chili

In the trailer Darwin claims a calm spot under our bed for himself. he can rest there without kids tripping over him.

September 21, 2022
Next day is gorgeous and sunny. We reserve this day for doing some more challenging hikes. For that we have to split because we can not take dogs on the hike with us. In the morning our cousins ascend Beehive mountain trail and we hang out on Otter Cliffs and lunch and take in views

and do some doggie and kiddie glamour shots against great ocean views

In the afternoon we trade the dogs and it is our turn to ascend. The hike is fairly difficult and for most of the way we have to use all 4 extremities to climb up. I am thinking to myself that the kids are finally grown to accompany us on challenging hikes but we are now older and out of shape… one can never win.

the views are spectacular and we thoroughly enjoy ourselves at the summit. it feels great but our extremeties are a little shaky.

We are riding high on dopamine after the climb. Kids are still full of energy and complete their junior ranger booklets to receive much coveted junior ranger badges!

At night after dinner we are in for another treat . The sky is clear enough to see millions of stars and milky way! kids are besides themselves. Adults are too. We celebrate with some marshmallows by the fire . Photo credit to Gabe Young who is doing amazing things with his cell phone camera and stable hand to maintain 30 sec exposure.

September 22, 2022

We pick up camp on the rainy morning, headed to our next stop in New Hampshire’s White Mountains.

Despite the rain, we make a short track to see Bass Harbor light located at the southernmost tip of Mount Desert Island. Kids jump like gots on wet cliff boulders and we chase after them to make a final Maine family photo. it is hard to leave Acadia but we pledge to come back soon. It was a great exploratory trip!

One last stop we must do in Maine. Sasha absolutely must try Maine Lobster, so, we find a proper shack and buy he her own lobster dish. She is surprised but braves through about a third of it.

New Hampshire White Mountains National Park.
Our next destination is a dry (no amenities) camp site inside Crawford Notch State Park.

We arrive in the rain again and realize that there is no reception at the site. kids are heartbroken and associate dry camping with the no cellular reception. On the rainy and cold night we have dinner inside Watny. It is nice and warm with the use of propane heater but all the moisture is quickly condensed on then cold walls of the trailer. It is a little rainy inside and is a bit of engineering problem to have.

September 23, 2022

The next day promises no rain but we quickly learn that White Mountain Range has the most erratic weather system on the east coast. it is drizzly and windy at the camp site while perfectly warm and sunny at the ( very picturesque) town of Burton couple of miles away.

We brave the elements and are off to Arethusa falls hike half a mile down the road from the campsite. Darwin joins.
The hike is along moderately steep 1.4 mile trail and we quickly warm up.

At the end we are rewarded with 200 feet high waterfall surrounded but turning leaves. it is absolutely gorgeous and everyone appreciates the view, even the dog.

At night high winds pick up and we are eating inside.

The skies are clear and bright stars are over us as we enjoy some fire and s’mores for our last night.

September 24, 2022

Due to the various life demands we designate this day as the last day of our trip. We wake up to a little surprise that last night’s wind storm left us. Some fallen trees are blocking the exit from the campgrounds.

The trees are taken care of by the time we are done packing up but we decide to stay behind and do one more hike after saying goodby to our cousins. The Frankenstein Cliff Trail is a very steep ascent to some remarkable views.

We set on foot from the camp and pretty soon are required to use our hands to assist ourselves in climbing up. Darwin is charging ahead nonchalantly.

We are exhausted by the top but the view is breathtaking. We are sitting in the top of the cliff at 2451 foot elevation, having traversed a water fall and steep switchbacks.

At the top I inquire with my dog :’Darwin, what do you think?’ ’Well,’ pipes in Sasha, ’He made it all this way and he can not see color…’

We have had a great and very adventurous trip. Looking forward to many more trips accompanied by Watny’s martian self.