Leaf change is everywhere.

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Dear Friends & Family to the west of us (that's a lot of territory!), although we are now in the beautiful White Mts. of New Hampshire, I must take you all back a few days...been busy, no wi-fi, no electricity, and looking at new vistas . From Niagara (not Viagra) Falls we drove on the NY Thruway 90 (our 1st toll road) to arrive in Syracuse, NY in time for Donna Cappellano's crosscountry meet. First we took a lovely hike on a tow path at Weedport. Try to imagine the commerce of the time needing canals to transport goods to factories by mules. I kept looking for Sal. Donna and her team emerged from the bus and she invited us to walk the course with them as a warm up (for them) and a good stretch for us at a pace faster than Timmy's. Her husband Greg met us there and we all watched the meet together. It was great watching Donna manage her team and they ran well. They won their meet, even with 1 girl having forgotten her socks and Donna loaning hers so she could run. We went back to their beautiful home in a very old town of Baldwinsville. Their home is partially forest and it is lovely. How could we say "no" as Greg insisted we have the guest room and bathroom. They took us to dinner to a restaurant right on the river where we could eat outside. The SLO Caps will remember it as the site of the rehearsal dinner. We had a delightful visit and then curled up for a restful night's sleep. We didn't even hear Donna leave for school the next morning. This was truly eastern hospitality at its very finest. Motoring across NY is very colorful now and soon we were in Bennington, Vermont Up the scenic road 7 (I think every road in Vermont is scenic) to Rutland then east again to Quechee State Park. This was one of our favorites as you are really camped in a forest of changing leaves. We took a steep hike down to the Quechee Gorge which is a remnant of an ice age glacier. We had to dry camp again which I love. The next morning we spotted a hot air balloon going right down into the gorge. Trees line the steep cliffs and we don't see how the pilot can maneuver in such a tight place. Did just a little shopping of "made in Vermont" products including Green Mt. coffee as our Peets is finally gone. (What's this Em reports, a Peets in Slo; maybe Monterey's will be open by the time we return). A drive of awesome beauty as we meandered up Vermont to St. Johnsbury and then into New Hampshire. From the Green Mts. to the White Mts. we had vistas unlike any we have seen before. The colors are so deep red, with orange and yellow. Saw several of Vermont's Covered Bridges, but the motorhome is too tall to cross them. We even went to the Covered Bridge Museum by Bennington...very informative and a great art gallery with wood carved birds. We also took a tour of Maple Grove Maple Museum and had to wear funny hats as they were making syrup and candy as we toured. We didn't buy any syrup as we are waiting for Abby's school syrup. Spent the night at Gorham where we had squirrels running on top of our motorhome. Timmy keeps getting dried fallen leaves in his whiskers. "The falling leaves drift by my window...the autumn leaves of red and gold." We are Happy Leaf Peepers! love, DWT.

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