Columbia County

We spent most of yesterday and today thankfully off the interstates, driving on windy country roads. Through quaint little towns with slightly familiar from movies and books; names like Ellenville, Scranton with signs leading to others like Pouchkeepsie!
We were about 100 miles north of Manhattan when we walked 1/2 mile out to the quaint stone Bed and Breakfast Lighthouse on the Hudson River, in the quaint New England town of Saugerties. Love these names! We spoke with a local lady who explained what these little hard, spiky balls covering the path in places - water chestnuts washed in by high water.

Each day, and each hour heading north gives us more red and golds in the hilly countryside. There are beautiful picture opportunities everywhere!

A couple of things we've noticed about the US road system in this area. The interstates are a marvel, the little country roads are shoulderless, busy and he speed limits through many little communities are astonishingly fast! We find ourselves flying along at 45-55 miles an hour that would easily be 1/2 that in Canada. Another thing there is a high "body count" some days- road kill that is. Large and small animals of all description. Not sure the highway personnel do regular pickups. Yesterday's count was 19!

Last night we were nicely settled into our remote camp site near Saugerties when a siren starts up. It becomes louder than the riffle practice we were listening to off in the distance. It winds up and down a couple of times. We now have aTV and checked to local channels, and social media sites. Nothing about North Korea, no hurrican, nothing. I can't take it, so I walk to the office. There are large signs stating the siren calls the local volunteer firemen! Guess they don't have pagers or texting!!!

We're off to the outskirts of Boston to spend the night at my cousin Karen's place.Read more