We had a Sticker Deficit

…the USA map on the back of our trailer had a lack of states visited in the northeast part of the US.

The USA map on our trailer was missing some states. — With five years of travel we saw that we neglected the northeast USA

So we planned a trip for mid-September 2021 that’d take us from Chicago to Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York also adding the cities of Montreal and Quebec, Canada since we’d be going that way.

Our route included stops in Montreal and Quebec City, Canada

Since Covid 19 is a concern, we had to have a negative Covid 19 test to cross the US/Canada border. We got out tests near home and headed to Port Huron, Michigan to wait for our results. Luckily the results came in a day and we passed through the border without a hitch and traveled the 520 miles to Montreal.

Montreal Canada — Side streets near Montreal’s Place Jacques Cartier are picturesque.

Montreal's Notre-Dame de Bon Secoirs Chapel “the sailors church” — Montreal’s Notre-Dame de Bon Secoirs Chapel “sailors church” has little boats hanging from the ceiling.

Then on to Quebec City…

Mayan exhibit at the Musee de la Civilisation, Quebec City, Canada — Quebec City’s weather wasn’t the best during parts of our September visit, so we spent a rainy day at a Mayan exhibit at the Musee de la Civilisation

Quebec fall color — Some fall color at Parc national des Îles-de-Boucherville.

We left Canada at the Derby Line Port of Entry, Derby Line, Vermont crossing and were back in the USA. Cindy was disappointed that the border guard didn’t extend a “welcome back” greeting!

Our first stops in the US included…

The Flume in Franconia Notch State Park, Franconia, New Hampshire

set-in-the-woods yoga studio Harvest Hosts — We use Harvest Hosts for some stays, this one was a set-in-the-woods yoga studio. While you don’t pay a Harvest Host, you do purchase their goods so we did a 9 am yoga class before breaking camp.

We tour boated on Squam Lake in Holderness, New Hampshire. This is the lake where On Golden Pond was filmed. At one point the guide was showing us an eagles nest and the eagle swooped in right on cue.

Making our way down the coast toward we saw…

the Mayflower II, Plymouth, Massachusetts — We toured the Mayflower II a ship similar to what the Pilgrims came in.

Plymouth Rock and footprints — Plymouth Rock was protected by a guard but there were still footprints in the sand.

Massasoit statue in Plymouth Massachesetts — Massasoit, Great Sachem of the Wampanoags.

While chatting with some other campers we learned about a whale watching boat they were going on. We checked it out and were able to get tickets also. The boat took off from Provincetown which was great because we wanted to visit this town also.

Whale watching off the Provincetown, Massachusetts coast.

Provincetown main street — Provincetown’s main street is lined with quaint shops and restaurants.

Shining Sea Bikeway bike riders — Since we have bikes with us, we like to find places to ride, about 30 miles from Plymouth the Shining Sea Bikeway winds along the Vineyard Sound shorelines.

Making our way to Newport, Rhode Island we set up the trailer at Fisherman’s Memorial State Park. Newport is famous for its Cliff Walk with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the estates of Guilded Age barons on the other. You can’t see much of the mansions from the walk but several are open for tours, we did the Vanderbilt’s Breakers and The Elms.