07/27 to 07/31 Alpine Lake RV Resort

 Alpine Lake RV  Resort

07/27  to 07/31 2026

During the brief ten day hiatus at home, I squeezed as much time as I could to be with friends, neighbors and family. That, in and of itself was most rewarding. And, as you would have  guessed, it meant enjoying the many dining venues and cuisine styles I've come to love and enjoy. Pizza at either the Paradise in Verplanck, NY, or at Giacomo's in Poughkeepsie, NY,  Sushi at either Sakura in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY or at Akira Sushi in Poughkeepsie. Italian either at Fratelli's Trattoria in Croton-on-Hudson, NY or Cosimo's Trattoria in Poughkeepsie. Even 105 Twenty in Croton, found me enjoying terrific eclectic menu selections. As usual, I invite all my  readers to take the time to view the websites and, better yet, make the local trips to see for yourself how delicious they can be. 

The following are for Foodies only.

Kani salad, avocado topped with mango appetizer from Alex at Sakura Garden

Sakura's New Mango Roll: Salmon avocado with fresh mango on top with mango sauce.

Special Lobster Roll: spicy crab, spicy tuna, avocado, lobster tempura avocado with chef special sauce. From Akira Sushi.

At 105 Twenty: Creamy pasta sauce made with shallots, asparagus, artichoke hearts, spinach and garlic served over cavatappi pasta.

Ravioli Ai Porcini: Porcini mushroom ravioli, creamy truffle sauce at Fratelli Trattoria.

For me, the new Thomas Roll at Sakura consisting of...

...spicy tuna, cream cheese deep fried in bread crumbs with eel sauce.

Winnie was able to spend the time in Marybeth and Carlo's side yard. Sleeping over on the eve of departure gave me an hour head start from Poughkeepsie rather than from Peekskill. .

Under the watchful eye of Ollie, I felt safe and secure in my home away from home. 

Fellow RVer, Jack, and I met at Alpine Lake RV Resort in Corinth, New York, for a 5-day stay. The 2+ hour trip for me seemed long and resurrected many memories as I traveled through cities and towns along I-87 north. Camping World in Kingston, where I picked up newly purchased Winnie I back in 2018 and proceeded further north with daughter, Marybeth to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Her Father's Day gift that year was to the Journey and the Steve Miller Band concert. Passing by Glen Falls, NY, I thought of fellow Blue Mountain Middle School physical education teacher and girls high school volleyball coach, Diane, who won three back-to-back New York State Girls Volleyball Championships that added to her illustrious career. 

The RV Resort is nestled between Lake George and Saratoga Springs just outside the Adirondack Forest Preserve. It has 496 sites sitting on over 400 acres with many of those sites crammed around Alpine Lake as seen in the map below. 

Jack and I occupy sites 143 and 145. Full hookups with a concrete pad. Access roads are tight, boulders along the way make it difficult for golf carts and RV to navigate. In our area, it was evident that most unoccupied RVs were long term or seasonal sites. Our area was very quiet during our 5-day stay.

The RV is level but... Jack is behind with a similar drop off both in front and to the side.

The many amenities offered make this campground very attractive for families. An on-site  restaurant is open Thursday through Sunday, the most active time of the week.

Jack's son, John, visited and stayed in a nearby cabin for a couple of days. Together, we made the 10 mile trip to Scotty's Restaurant in the Wilton Travel Plaza for breakfast one morning. Pancakes were very good. Thank you, John.

Later in the week, fellow RVers, Dan and Melanie arrived for their short stay. As you would expect, our cocktail hours provided an excellent opportunity for "catching up" even in the rain.

The weather was the only other noteworthy event; the never ending rain. It was the longest stretch of continual rainfall we've seen to date. Starting around 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, it continued non-stop until late evening Wednesday.

With Dan/Mel we planned a cook-out which we had to cancel. Instead, we drove once again to Scotty's Diner. This time, for dinner.  

For a brunch, I cooked up a potato, roasted pepper omlette topped with American cheese.

I sliced baby potatoes into quarters and browned them in olive oil.

Added roasted red peppers, and...

...poured the egg mixture to cover it all. Pecorino-Romano grated cheese added and after flipping (which didn't go well), slices of American cheese were added, melted and served.

Friday came ever so quickly and that day turned out to be the hottest day we experienced. We packed up and were gone by 11:00 a.m. Jack and I had weddings to attend. His, in New Jersey, mine in California. Mel and Dan were off to another campground adventure.

Thanks for joining me. Much more to come in the weeks ahead. Hope you'll come along.

And just like that, the end of another special RV week… the open road is already calling us back.

07/13 to 07/17 KOAs in Littleton, NH & Westhampton, MA

   Littleton/Franconia Notch KOA

07/13  to 07/15, 2026

What a beautiful drive; four hours including a fuel stop. All back roads. Scenic. Hills and valleys. Rounding each curve another portrait of rural Maine was revealed where the years seem to drift by unnoticed and the enduring heartbeat of country life echoes much as it always has. A good portion of the drive was through the White Mountain National Forest. Dense green forests of pine. Oncoming trucks loaded with huge logs spoke of a way of life still rooted in the woods, where forests and mills continue a partnership centuries in the making.

This "vacationland" known for skiing was evident when looking at the slopes of the surrounding mountains. Large rectangular swatches of cleared forest stand out with the ski lifts resembling stick-like figures marching upward toward the summit. I'm so glad I chose this scenic route. Very little traffic afforded me the opportunity to soak in and appreciate the environment. Averaging 45-55 m.p.h. increased my fuel efficiency, an unintended bonus.

New England has a surprising collection of towns whose names were borrowed from countries around the world, espescially western Maine. My route from Searsport westward to the New Hampshire border was about 100 miles. Within a relatively short drive you can pass through:

• Denmark
• Norway
• Sweden
• Poland
• Peru
• Mexico
• China

Elsewhere, Maine has:

Lebanon

Palermo

Belfast

Dresden

In New Hampshire there is:

• Lebanon
• Lisbon
• Berlin
• Milan
• Bethlehem
• Alexandria

I'm finding two-day layovers after driving hundreds of miles works out quite nicely. My trip back home has two, 2-day layovers in Lisbon, NH and Westhampton, MA. Site #39 at the Littleton/Franconia Notch KOA was a full hook-up, pull through site that was well shaded and level. Not good at all for my Starlink hookup so I had to rely on the free campground connection.

Nothing exciting to write home about other than the pending storm and tornado risk present for southern Quebec and northern New England. "Supercells and squalls with damaging gusts and hail up to pool ball size are also possible." Doubt it, but we shall see.

A big day today for daughter, Marybeth. Happy birthday. The best photo I've ever taken.

Northampton/Springfield KOA

07/15  to 07/17, 2026

What a terrific 3-hour ride that was. Very light traffic leaving New Hampshire to I-91 south through Vermont, the first state to enter the Union after the original thirteen colonies. I-91 pretty much followed the meandering Ammonoosuc (small narrow fishing place) River and the Connecticut (the long tidal river) Rivers. With plenty of time to my next destination, the Northampton/Springfield KOA, in Springfield, Massachusetts, I purposely kept my speed at 55 m.p.h on the 65 m.p.h. Interstate. With little or no traffic, I wasn't concerned about being a traffic hazard. Beside maximizing my fuel efficiency, the landscape that was laid out before me was breathtaking. The Green Mountain State is just that. Part of the Appalachian chain, the Green Mountains run north and south for 250 miles, from Canada to Massachusetts, separating the Lake Champlain region to the west from the Connecticut River Valley to the east.

And like many in New York State, I too, witness eerie skies during my drive. The Canadian wildfires have returned and with them, the toxic particulate matter. It's time to break out those Covid era masks. I'm sure you've got a few dozen of them stashed away somewhere. Canada has more than 800 active wildfires as of this writing, with over 100 considered out of control. Lasting May thorugh September, fire season reaches its peak June through August. A glance of the jet stream barreling through the low in Canada and high pressure in the States, the funneling smoke will continue for days if not weeks.

Credit: MyRadar app

Site #4, a back-in, has full hookups. No obstructions for my Starlink Internet service. Each of the two days I was here, RV's were coming and going. Campground is quite full and quite busy. As I wind down this portion of my travels, it was a good time to catch up, finish this blog and prepare myself for apartment living...for awhile, about ten days. My next adventure will take me and RV friend, Jack, to Alpine Lake Campground in Corinth, New York for a week. I'll see you there.

For the interested readers, perhaps you'd like to know that during my 18 years of traveling, (ten with an RV), I have written 531 posts. Blogs refer to the main title, "Winnie and Me 2026", for example. I have eleven such blogs. Within each blog, I've written posts. So far in "Winnie and Me 2026" I've written 17 posts. Through my AI app, I think I may have a way to bring it all together in the form of a Memoir. This is my next project. We shall see. I've submitted a blog post and it has already composed an introduction with which I'll complete this post:

Charles Rossi has spent a lifetime believing that the journey is every bit as important as the destination. In retirement, that belief became a way of life. From the driver's seat of a Winnebago View, he has crossed mountains, traced coastlines, wandered small towns, and fulfilled a dream shared by few: visiting and spending the night in every one of the forty-eight contiguous United States. Along the way, he has become not just a traveler, but a storyteller, recording the people, landscapes, and quiet moments that reveal the character of America.

07/06 to 07/13 Searsport Shores Oceanfront Camping

  Searsport Shores Oceanfront Camping Searsport, Maine

07/06  to 07/13, 2026  

Welcome. Well, here I am. This marks my 12th year that I've made this trip to Maine, nine of them staying here at Seasrport Shores Oceanfront, home also to the Makers Guild Arts and Crafts of Maine. Maine is the Pine Tree State, the only one syllable state, the only state that does not have a state flower, the only state that borders only one other state and the only that has a state highway sign that reads, "Welcome Home" when you cross its border. Besides inventing the donut hole, or having a desert (near Freeport), or once being the toothpick capitol of the world, or having over 4,000 coastal islands (only 15 are populated year-round), it is the summer home of my dear cousins, John and Barbara.

My trip from Strafford, NH, was only 165 miles but it seem to take forever. I-95 and I-295 most of the way but little things like waiting more than 20-minutes for a Burger King double cheeseburger at a Service Area or driving into a tight gas station only to find the diesel pump is "out of order." I "researched" diesel prices in Maine vs. New Hampshire and found New Hampshire was cheaper. So, about a mile before crossing into Maine, I topped off at $5.599, which was pretty high to me; crossed the border into Maine and saw a station selling diesel for $4.49. If you were outside around 11:00 a.m. that day, perhaps you heard me cursing. Then a market stop at Hannafords in Belfast added more time. Love this stop. Wine, liquor and sushi; one stop shopping.

Take a peek at last year's blog HERE to reminisce. Last year was one of my best. Fellow RVer, Jack, joined me and we experienced and shared some terrific memories. Unable to join me again this year, I assured him I'll be making plans for our trip back in 2027.

Sunrise with a cloud cover

The view from my deck looking northeast toward Searsport just doesn't get old. Everyday I'm greeted with Mother Nature's newest painting. A sky painted in different colors and hues, different than the day before. The calm waters, be it high or low tide, complement and allow the peace and relaxation that makes a morning cup of coffee much more satisfying. As is often said, "It doesn't get any better than this."

Compared to my two previous campground stops, temps that reached into the 100º+ daytime, 80º nightime ranges are now in the 70º's daytime, 50º's nightime range.

Tuesday evening, my Uber driver, cousin John, picked me up for the 20-minute, 11 mile drive back to his summer cottage in Northport. Dinner by Barbara, as usual, fresh and delicious. Their son, John, wife Jen and children, Nico and Lyla are on vacation and spending time at the cottage. Friend Paula also joined us. The kids welcomed the "campfire" after dinner and enjoyed s'mores.

Sunrises

5:02 a.m. sunrise... 

...over Searsport Terminal

Tides

One of the fun things I do is watch the tides. You can do that when you have no life, you know. The less adventurous folks like to watch paint dry. Not me. I live on the edge. Here on Penobscot Bay you can't help but notice that nothing in Nature is fixed. Nature breathes. It inhales and the tide ebbs leaving kelp covered rocks, tidal pools and food for foraging gulls. Exhaling, the tide returns and the shores swell with new life provided by the ocean. This timeless converstation with the moon is never static. Listening to crashing waves is Nature's reassurance that the returning low tide will once again bring a soft quiet upon the beach.

Low Tide at 11:20 a.m.

High Tide at 5:40 p.m.

ships

On the high tide, enter the Canadian oil/chemcial tanker, New England, flying under the Marshals Island flag. It's on the way to Long Cove to anchor at Searsport. Sprague and Irving Fuel Terminals are located there. The ship is 597' long and regularly makes the trip from the St. John's refineries, through the Bay of Fundy and the Gulf of Maine to Searsport.

Wikipedia notes: Searsport supplied one-tenth of all U.S. deep-water sea captains in the 19th century—more per square mile than anywhere else. They called it the home of the famous sea captains for a reason; one tiny town launched over 300 of 'em, with 17 shipyards cranking out 200 ships.

The State of Maine. The Maine Maritime Academy’s brand-new training ship, a 525-foot National Security Multi-Mission Vessel delivered in March 2026.

It’s the fifth ship to carry the name and the first one purpose-built for the academy — previous ones were converted from Navy vessels. It can carry up to 600 cadets, has a top speed of 18 knots, and is designed not just for training but also for humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions. Right now it’s docked in Searsport because their usual spot in Castine is across the bay and the new ship’s too big for the old pier. ~~AI generated.

At night, an impressive sight

Kayaks aren't exactly "ships" but it is a favorite pastime activity for anyone living near Penobscot Bay....

...as is paddleboarding

Vistors

My Thursday Visitors: L. to R: Barbara, John, Nico, Lyla, Jen, John Jr.

Nico and Lyla enjoyed a walk on the beach with daddy and grandma as the tide continued creeping to high tide. 

My long-awaited toasted Lobster Roll was delivered by Barb and John. Thank you. My choice of mayo is preferred more by Southern Maine folk whereas, butter is the favored choice of Mid-Maine or Downeast Maine (which is northern Maine.)

"Campfires"

The sun sets, the temps drop. When it hit 66º, I decided to have a mini campfire.

5 cups of wood pellets, a few shards of kindling on top and a match.

Good for about 90 minutes of warmth before darkness claimed the day

Dining Out & In

Saturday night was the only night I was able to treat my hosts to a "thank you dinner." Along with our friend, Joe, we drove a short way north to the Angler's Seafood Restaurant in Searsport.  Check out their menu HERE. Scroll down to see the varied and delicious offerings. Lots of "homemade" listed. My choice tonight was their (pricey) Baked Lobster Mac & Cheese with a side of "homemade onion rings." Delicious for lunch the next day as well.

On the way, Joe pointed out an incredible carved statue that used to be a dead tree. This fantastic piece of chain-saw art was done by Josh Landry. By all means you must check out his website. My drive-by photo doesn't do it justice. To avoid copyright infringements, please go to his website for more of his work. 

Research indicated that "this 20-foot-tall chainsaw sculpture of Poseidon was carved from a rotting tree stump by artist Josh Landry. It is located on the front lawn of the Yardarm Motel in Searsport, Maine. The statue features the Greek sea god holding a trident, a compass rose, and an eagle, and it is illuminated at night. The project was commissioned by the motel owners in August 2025 to repurpose a dead tree." Each of his other works of art are masterpieces. Go see for yourself.

My last meal in Maine Sunday night was at John/Barb's place in Northport. We were joined by their long time friend, Joe. 

Joe, John, Barb

Grilled pork cutlets, applesauce, green beans...

Fresh, fresh, fresh.. For dessert, rhubarb-lemon cobbler with a scoop or two of butter pecan ice cream. Thank you, Barb and John. See you again in July of 2027. But before I leave tomorrow, breakfast at Bell the Cat in Belfast. Check out the menu and guess what I had.

As a final note to end this post, I, Poppa Charlie, donated again this year to adopt my fourth nesting site on a beach in Miami. Granddaughter, Sara, in charge of and overseer of nests sent some photos.

Great shot, Sara, making the sunrise look like a light bulb atop my stake. Well done.

My nest last year had an 82% success rate.

This little fella was from last year's nest. Sara writes, "We are actually pausing our adopt a nest program at the moment because the Miami Heat basketball team adopted 100 nests and is promoting our program at their games, which is great, but we can’t keep up with all the adoptions at the moment so we’re taking a break."

"Come slowly. The tides are older than your worries, the granite older than your dreams. Stay long enough to hear the foghorn answer the gull, the lobster boat answer the dawn, and the sea answer only to the moon. Then you'll understand why people leave Penobscot Bay... yet somehow never quite depart."~~AI generated