West Virginia

October 26, 2007
I head to Morgantown, WV to camp for the night after a quick painting at Coopers Rock. The next day it is raining so I elect to travel on the Interstate for the first part of the trip, getting off for the back roads when I see the sky lighten to the east. I travel down route 219 from Elkins, surprised at how great the road is. What a beautiful mountainous state it is. I end up at a Walmart parking lot in Lewisburg, my first Walmart camping experience. Not too bad, but the parking lot lights are really bright!The next morning I planned on doing another painting but it is absolutely pouring, so I take the Interstate to Virginia and head toward Lynchburg. There is a tornado watch so I decide to take my bike inside for the night and batten down the hatches for a downpour, glad that I am safely hooked up in a campsite for 2 days.Hi ho Hi ho...

Pennsylvania

October 20, 2007
I took a month break from driving to take care of business, do some studio painting for a galleru show, and have another visit with my parents in Pa. since the weather has been outstanding.... a perfect fall, day after day. I also took the opportunity to help Dad redo his WWII Navy wall with pictures and memorabilia. I also had a visit from my daughter who came in from NYC for a day - always good to see her.But finally I am on the move again. I head down to Allentown to visit a friend, Cheryl, and we reminisce about being in our 20's and all the stuff we got away with that we could never do now. A quick RV repair to the door and I am off to Hershey & Thousand Trails campground - my visit is extended due to bad weather. My electric bike arrived a week ago (the first one arrived broken) has now been adjusted and outfitted with a new comfy seat. I just got a chance to try it out - a shame the camp speed limit is 5 mph! I have been finishing up paintings for a Nov 1 show so my studio is indoors for the time being. My plan is to head south through western PA, WV, VA, the Carolinas, GA and FL. It feels more like fall and some bands of thunderstorms moved through last night, rocking the RV a bit, but today is sunny and warm again.
October 25, 2007
I had a wonderful trip through western Pa. on route 30 west of Chambersburg - probably one of the most beautiful roads I have been on due to the foliage being at peak color and the perfect weather.At the end of the day I went through Shanksville to see the United 93 memorial. A temporary wooden wall is at the impact site. People from all over the world have left mementos and messages. The site itself is tucked in a hillside you cannot even see from the main road and there is a waiting line to see the photo book. While standing in line I spoke to the daughter of one of the passengers, Hillary Marcin. She speaks of friendships that have formed among the families. To donate towards a permanent memorial, go to http://www.honorflight93.org/I head to a campsite just as the light fades.The next day I head south towards West Virginia, stopping at Fallingwater to see the Frank Lloyd Wright house I swore I would visit. I can only tour the grounds since it is Monday but get many close up views of the house. It is much more spectacular than the first photos I saw in art school 35 years ago.

New York

September 24, 2007
In the morning it is fogged in so I will wander down to the lake to see if there is anything I can paint. I had just decided to move on and paint NY another day when I stepped out of my camper and saw the scene right in front of me. There is a young girl at the pop up camper next door and the sunlight had just come out catching the edges of their camper and the American flag. I quickly set up and start painting and after about 45 minutes I am "discovered" by the family and I ask if they mind that I am painting their campsite. Dad Scott and his 2 kids are quite happy to represent NY. They are from Poughkeepsie and are on their way to be a chase crew for the balloon festival starting in Lake George. I promise to email the finished painting. Very nice people.

Vermont

September 23, 2007
The next day I find another painting waiting for me at Joe's Pond, Vermont.
Between Maine and Montpelier, I could paint for weeks - around every turn is a street or a farm or a lake that I would like to stop for. I finally head south of Burlington to pick up a ferry across Lake Champlain. Boo sleeps through the whole experience as usual. It is a good way to end a fantastic few days of perfect weather and great sights. I am humbled by the shear beauty of this country tucked away in the small towns and the back roads . I head down Scenic Route 9N at the end of the day. I ride up and down the hills along the lakes until the light goes and it gets a little too scenic. A deer jumps out in front of the RV. I fortunately am not going very fast but I am ready to pick up the interstate for the last 10 dark miles to avoid any more surprises. I arrive at Lake George with a campground reservation, get connected and quickly fall asleep.

New Hampshire

September 22, 2007
The next day it is time to leave Maine so I head west and pick up Rt 2, determined to stay off the interstates. I cross the New Hampshire border at Shelburne and find a wonderful little campground. The owner gives me a couple of possible painting locations and I end up with the long afternoon shadows and last light at the Shelburne church. There are spectacular vistas in New Hampshire but there are even more quiet scenes like this that you can miss on the highways. Shelburne has about 370 residents but today it is representing the entire state.

Maine

September 5, 2007
I arrive in Mount Desert Island in Maine, having vibrated through PA, NY, CT, and MA. (our interstates are crumbling and are being pounded by trucks and bad drivers!) I was invited by Richard & Judy Carrell to informally paint the Big Lobster Croquet Tounament in Southwest Harbour. I parked my home in the back yard of Ann Bright. Ann is a wonderful summer resident who opens her home to me, feeds me and lets me use the facilities and the internet & phone. I drive each day to the Claremont Hotel. The scene looks like a John Singer Sargent painting with the players all in their whites against the beautiful harbor in the background.

September 12, 2007
We are fortunate to have 3 sunny warm days but the cool nights signal the end of summer. At the end of 3 days I have sold a few paintings, the weather turns rainy and I am thinking it is time to go. I spend 2 more rainy days waiting for the sunshine so I can go out and take some more photos. I have gotten a few commissions for later and lots of great material.I pause on September 11 and thank those who have made it possible for me to have such freedom.The following morning the sun is out and I do a quick study in Seal Cove. There is a van in my view and as I am about to be irritated by it, a man steps out and
starts playing the bagpipes. WOW. The sun, the ocean, the 25 knot winds bouncing the boats and bagpipes - can it get any better?I head southwest on Rt 3 and 202 to Turner to visit some old friends and catch up on the last 10 years, kids, aches and pains... Gerry and Angela Maloney were there when my kids (now 25 & 26) were born. I enjoy the comforts of home for a few days before heading back on the road.

September 21, 2007
My internet system has not worked so I am dependent on Wifi locations which have been few and far between. I spent 4 nights in the Camden Rockport area to catch up with Mary Erickson. She is visiting Maine from North Carolina so we met at the campground and went painting after a quick visit to the Farnsworth Museum to look at the Wyeth paintings. Mary is the hardest working painter I have ever met - she will stop to paint on her way to go painting and is one of very few people I will get up at 5 AM to hang out with.
On the 18th we met up with Don Demers and Gary Davis to paint on the Olson farm where Wyeth painted Christina's World among others.
I have horned in on a reunion paint for the other 3 who met in an Ireland workshop of Don's. But they are all great people and don't mind the intrusion.
( I show my cluelessness at the end of the day by being the only one not drinking Guiness.) I dashed out a little 6 x 8 of Mary and Don painting together which they both liked.

Starting the journey

My RV is a 2003 Minnie with a slide out that gives me enough room to work on up to 24" paintings indoors in unfriendly weather. In good weather I have my awning to give shade while outdoors for larger pieces. My recent purchase is an electric bike which I can travel on for short distances with my backpack to those plein air sites where you cannot park an RV.
I started my adventures in Pennsylvania where I parked in my parents' back yard for 3 weeks to get used to RV living and the maintenance aspects in a safe environment. Half of my friends are envious and the other half think I am crazy - usually divided down the middle between painters and non-painters. Finally leaving the comforts of the back yard, I took off for my first trip to Maine.