It felt like we were on our honeymoon again, driving through rolling hills and along the fringes of long deep lakes - perhaps Bavaria - only these are the Finger Lakes of New York.
Now we have a rhythm, and its key is that Tom is absolutely delighted to be on the road, from the moment he unwinds from his sleeping bag in the morning. Today he brought his reading book into our bed and for twenty minutes, all was quiet in the campervan. He knows we need a morning cup of tea before we start speaking in joined up sentences. And he knows that once we've had breakfast, I'll spring into action - joining him in cycling around the campground loops. Also (and touch wood) it's much easier now than on our first roadtrip when he was four - he's old enough to run off to the playground while we get a shower, or wash the breakfast dishes - so long as he keeps coming back around to check in, we can get the business of the day under way in peace.
We headed up from Watkins Glen to Hammondsport, at the base of the small Keuka Lake, and then up west around the lake to tonight's campsite. Well, when I say small, it's still 22 miles long - quite a drive up past lovely beachside houses and tiny private jetties. I had luxurious glimpses through the trees of Adirondack chairs sitting on the dockside ready to face the sunset.
I love the American Parks. We've had amazing experiences in the grand National Parks - from Glacier in the north to Joshua Tree in the south and a lot of points in between. But some of the most memorable experiences have been the simplest - either the very basic National Forest Service sites, or the far flung spaces run by the Bureau of Land Management. And in the last couple of years, in Wyoming and Nebraska, and now here in New York too, we've found immaculately cared for state parks, often pretty full with local families as this one is tonight, but obviously well loved favourites for a reason.
We're up above the lake on our own patch of grass and hedgerow and wildflowers. When we got here in the late afternoon, we pulled the bikes off the back of the RV, and blithely sailed downhill to the lakeside - where there was a fantastic new adventure playground, and a grassy lawn sloping down to a swimming beach, obligatory blonde teenage lifeguard and all. Tom delighted, parents not far off. Obviously getting back UP the hill took a bit of imagination (and in Richard's case, muscle, as he both cycled and pulled Tom's bike along next to him...) but we made up for it with some excellent Finger Lakes Pale Ale, and Tom has just gone to bed at nine pm brown, grubby and happy.
No comments:
Post a Comment