The last sunset in the US seemed appropriate for the end of this leg of our travels. We'll spend a week in Montreal prepping the RV for winter and ourselves for the start of the next phase: Punta Cana for some R&R and then onward to South America. (Burlington, Vermont, Oct 7)

​Americans do like to have fun with their mailboxes.  We don't remember noticing this so much on the west coast on previous road trips, but have seen it a lot in the east.

Twenty years ago two men in the neighbourhood decided to take the mosquito problem into their own hands. Finding out that swallows ate the pests, the guys started building bird houses - 600 were crowded into a small wooded area. Not sure what part the dinosaur plays :) (South Hero, Vermont, Oct 6)

As we cycled by this ghoul slowly moved it's head and it's eyes tracked our passing - it was creepy but funny. Later she was willing to be photographed, even removing her mask so that she could fix her hair.

When we planned the timing of this trip, seeing the Fall leaves in Vermont was key. Along scenic byways we've passed miles of colour that our pictures couldn't do justice to. (Stowe, Vermont, Oct 4)

On an overcast day a gondola took us up into the mist at the top of the local ski mountain. (Stowe, Vermont, Oct 4)

Small family farms are trading off crops and cows for solar panels. (Waterbury, Vermont, Oct 3)

Touring Ben & Jerry's factory we were impressed with their level of social conscience. This sign was in the entrance area and iPads were placed nearby for people to dig deeper into the voting issue. And oh yeah... the ice cream was yummy! (Waterbury, Vermont, Oct 3)

Between Rhode Island and Vermont we've had some of the best apple cider - hot, cold and alcoholic. We saw a press squeeze the juice out of layers of cloth bound fruit. The leftover mush is fed to pigs which gives their bacon an apple flavor. (Waterbury, Vermont, Oct 2)

We drove past several roadside stands selling maple syrup, cheese, organic produce and fork tender grass fed beef. Apparently organic farmers are a trusting lot judging by the loot in this honour basket. (Weston, Vermont, Sept 30)

On a whim we decided to stay in one of the state park cabins we've so often seen. With a wood stove to keep us warm, we spent a couple of cozy back-to-nature days. (Charlemont, Massachusetts, Sept 28)

Over a century ago, a ladies gardening club resuscitated an abandoned trolley bridge and created this Bridge of Flowers. (Shelburne Falls , Massachusetts, Sept 27)

One afternoon we took the Boston area commuter train to the end of one of the lines and snapped this bucolic scene along the route. (Massachusetts, Sept 25)

A tesla coil demonstration at the impressive Science Museum made for some fun lightening like displays. After seeing the demo we wiki'd the name - apparently Nikola Tesla was quite the inventor and a number of things have been named after him, including the car. (Boston, Massachusetts, Sept 25)

Dusk highlighted the fanciful wrought iron coverings adorning many historic neighbourhood homes. (Boston, Sept 24)

Loved the duality of how this historic church was reflected in its modern neighbouring building. (Boston, Sept 24)

A river cruise highlighted the skyline and the scenic multi-use greenway that bordered both sides of the waterway. (Boston, Sept 23)

A Harvard student showed us around his university. It seemed there were more tourists on the grounds (bus loads) than students. With such a huge campus, we only saw a fraction of the buildings - from the beautiful, almost 400yr old, brick originals to the hideous 70's structures. Fun fact: 100% of 1st years have to live in res on campus and 98% opt to remain during 2nd-4th year. (Cambridge, Sept 23)

In the town synonymous with the witch hysteria we went to a museum that included a kangaroo court re-enactment, based on original transcripts, of one of the trials that lead to the hanging of a supposed witch. Between the judge and his nephew the sheriff inheriting the various accused's assets and the testimony of imaginative young children, the poor defendants didn't stand a chance. In the cheesy diorama above, a man is being pressed to death, across 3 days, by rocks piled on a board placed over his body. (Salem, Massachusetts, Sept 22)

We toured a full sized replica of the Mayflower that bore ~130 brave English pilgrims set to start a new life in America. The captain's quarters were surprisingly roomy, but it was hard to imagine how the 100 passengers fit in a living space of about 58' x 24' for the 66 day sailing! (Plymouth, Massachusetts, Sept 21)

A memorial housed the meager remains of Plymouth Rock. Fun fact: Until 1880 people were allowed to take hammer & chisel to the (formerly) 20,000 lb rock, to take away a souvenir. (Plymouth, Sept 21)

While we were watching several containers of huge quahog clams being hoisted off a fishing boat in the harbour, we met a local who filled us in on how they're harvested by a dredger dragged along the ocean floor about 70 miles offshore. These are the type of clams chopped up for the delicious New England chowder we've been eating lately. (Hyannis, Massachusetts, Sept 20)

We took the ferry to bike-friendly Martha's Vineyard and cycled for hours to a few of the villages. Along with the high end "cottages" near the ocean that we expected, the bike paths took us inland to a rural, sparsely populated, pine tree heavy land dotted with modest homes set along gravel/dirt roads. (Massachusetts, Sept 18)

The village of Oak Bluffs included a neighborhood of Gingerbread Cottages. With clusters of homes built around small parks and little paths connecting them, it was like walking in an enchanted fairy tale. Fun fact: These now pricy homes, passed from generation to generation, were originally built in the 1800s by Methodists to use for their annual summer religious camp meetings. (Martha's Vineyard, Sept 18)

A homeowner told me that wild turkeys favour the area and just make themselves at home on anyone's yard. Then he gave me one of their feathers - it was so pretty, I could imagine it adorning a ladies hat in days gone by. (Martha's Vineyard, Sept 18)

Scenes along yet another scenic bike path. Quite a few salt marshes, like this one, dotted the landscape. (Falmouth, Massachusetts, Sept 17)

The corn was so sweet here that the vendor suggested we try some raw - it was surprisingly tasty. (Little Compton, Rhode Island, Sept 16)

Harbours and cottages lined a scenic byway. (Sakonnet, Rhode Island, Sept 16)

We played like the Kennedy clan with an afternoon sailing trip. Jackie Kennedy's childhood home is behind us in this pic. To round out our Camelot day, we later wandered by the church where she and JFK married. (Newport, Rhode Island, Sept 15)

A figure in one socialite's century old, playful and eclectic topiary garden. (Portsmouth, Rhode Island, Sept 14, 2016)

... and we thought 80s shoulder pads were big.

Marking the city's early days affluence, mansions lined the bay shore, including two imposing Vanderbilt family summer cottages: one made almost entirely of marble (500,000 cu ft) and another which included room panels painted with a thin film of platinum so that the sheen never faded. After touring through the last home, taking in excess upon excess, we felt like we'd seen enough of the gilded age. (Newport, Sept 13, 2016)

With the annual boat show in town the harbour was a traffic jam made up of every possible type of watercraft. (Newport, Sept 15, 2016)

All of the bike paths we've sought out on this trip have been 'the best of' according to the Rails to Trails organization. The two we cycled in Rhode Island lived up to the rating: scenic, away from traffic, flat, paved and shady with options for a cold beer as an added perk. (Providence area, Rhode Island, Sept 11, 2016)

Quintessential New England. (Newport, Sept 10, 2016)

Rhode Island is the only US state we found that has a state yacht (along with of course the more pedestrian state bird, state flower, etc). (Newport, Rhode Island, Sept 10, 2016)

An American patriot stood out along an upstate biway. (Gloucester, Rhode Island, Sept 7, 2016)

We stumbled upon a county fair complete with some serious baking, gardening and livestock contests along with vintage farm equipment demonstrations and finished off with a good ole country concert.
Fun fact: Giant pumpkins can grow more than 1 lb/hr. (Woodstock, Connecticut, Sept 5, 2016)

It was a tropical storm Hermine day... Plan A of staying along the lovely Connecticut coast turned into Plan B to head into the rural north, out of danger. All state parks were evacuated and the private campgrounds were full, so in a moment of emergency preparedness we stealthily snuck into a gated, deserted state park to shower and stock up on water. As an added precaution we put a full gallon jug in the bathroom to use as extra toilet water in a pinch. Unfortunately it slid around and jammed under the toilet pedal which flooded 20 gallons of (at least fresh) water into the motorhome. And as a final insult, we gave RVers a bad name by setting up in a Walmart parking lot, draining our RV and hanging soaked towels off the side mirrors after mopping up the mess. (Lisbon, Connecticut, Sept 4, 2016)

Almost $100 in tolls was the price to drive across New York State! (Sept 3, 2016)

In Amish country we picked up some homemade cherry pie and shared the road with horse drawn buggies. In an ironic twist the town's name was Intercourse - I'm sure they didn't have our lowbrow definition in mind. (Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Sept 3, 2016)

While Rick drives I've been reading aloud "A Little History of the United States". It's been more meaningful as our route has passed the first 4 president's homes, and the civil war route up to Gettysburg, now a National Park. It offered a unique service where a docent hopped in your car for a couple of hours to guide you around the key battle sites, now dotted with commemorative monuments, and the place that president Lincoln gave his Gettysburg address. (Sept 2, 2016, Pennsylvania)

Whimsical wine coasters used at a restaurant in a postcard pretty town complete with a lily pad filled canal. (Frederick, Maryland, Aug 31, 2016)

Washington had never been on our must-do bucket list but after 5 packed days of exploring the 3 km long National Mall and over 2 dozen of the iconic government institutions, sights, museums, galleries and monuments that fringed it's greater area, we could have easily stayed twice as long. (Aug 29, 2016, Washington, D.C.)

Our White House moment was a bit surreal with touts selling water and joking with one another while the secret service stood sentry. Each time I dug into my backpack purse I felt like I looked suspicious. (Aug 28, 2016, Washington)

At night we joined the crowds who flocked to the glowing white marble Lincoln Memorial. Afterwards, sitting on his monument's stairs, it felt so peaceful to see the Washington Monument mirrored in the Reflecting Pool. (Aug 27, 2016, Washington)

In 2000 the Library of Congress published a list of the 100 best 20th century novels. Over the years I've been working my way through them, so being in this prestigious building was a highlight. This is the largest of the 22 reading rooms. (Aug 27, 2016, Washington)

With 19 Smithsonian museums/galleries, all free, it was difficult to decide which to visit with our limited time. A favourite was the National Art Gallery - after 5 hours of variously themed tours we saw just a smattering of the collection. This is the only Leonardo da Vinci in the Americas. (Aug 26, 2016, Washington)

After numerous visits to Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History we never did get to see all of it. The pièce de résistance was this 45 carat Hope Diamond, insured for $250 million! (Aug, 26, 2016, Washington)

The sobering view of hundreds of acres of white headstones in the Arlington National Cemetery was a stark reminder that "freedom is not free", a quote we've seen often in our travels. (Aug 25, 2016, Washington)

Wide open spaces, cattle grazing and corn fields filled the day's drive. Then this sign welcomed us to our state park - the campground lake was used to help cool the nuclear reactor ... No one-eyed cows spotted yet :) (Aug 24, 2016, Spotsylvania, Virginia)

We drove a 350 mile section of the protected Blue Ridge Parkway. The rolling hills wove along the ridge line of the Appalachian Mountain chain. Frequent lookouts revealed mountain ranges, unscarred by logging or fires, for as far as the eye could see. A handful of hamlets sat tucked in the valleys. As we passed hundreds of miles of flowering trees (esp Rhodos) we could imagine how colorful Spring blooms and Fall leaves would be even more stunning than the scenery we already appreciated. (Aug 21-23, 2016, N Carolina to Virginia)

Even after seeing several mansions, we weren't prepared for the scope and grandeur of the Vanderbilt's Biltmore Estate. At 120 years old it remains the largest single family home in America. Fun facts: Home - 175,000 sq ft, 55 fireplaces, 43 bathrooms, 35 bedrooms, 1 bowling alley and 1 pool. Land - 8,000 acres including 20+ acres of gardens. (Aug 20, 2016, Asheville, North Carolina)

The Biltmore Estate retained part of the village originally built to accommodate the hundreds of construction workers, their trades/supplies and the sustainable farming it took to feed them. The sizable dairy farm was later converted to a now thriving winery. We got in line with the kids to try the grape stomping - felt very slimy! (Aug 20, 2016, Asheville)

The shrinking of rural America... Along the secondary roadways, this has not been an uncommon sight as people move to the growing cities. We're curious to see how much these sights will be mirrored on our cross-Canada leg of the trip.

Dollywood exceeded our expectations: beautiful Smoky Mountain's thematic buildings and foliage, a full days worth of musical entertainment, reasonably priced, eclectic shops and high-thrill rollercoasters. The newly opened, fastest wooden coaster in the world actually made us feel a little light headed. As a bonus the kids went back to school the week we arrived, which meant minimal waits for the rides. (Aug 16-18, 2016, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee)

Dolly's old tour bus had just a few more luxuries than our RV... can't imagine what her new $2.7M rig looks like. (Pigeon Forge)

This picture is only for the truly hard core Dolly fan. (Pigeon Forge)

At the first detection of lightening within 10 miles of Dolly's waterpark the rides were cleared. Only after 15 minutes of strike-free skies could activities resume - it took over 2 hours. Along our road trip we've walked, driven and camped through several frightening torrential rains and electrical storms. But when we passed depth gauges protruding high above the Mississippi River it was hard to imagine the water rising to those levels. Only 2 months ago we were walking the streets of now flooded Baton Rouge sipping cocktails on a food tour. (Aug 15, 2016, Pigeon Forge)

A 3 mile strip through Pigeon Forge was crammed with entertainment, shopping, adrenaline rushes and oddly, a high per capita number of pancake restaurants. One night we rode a roller coaster completely set in the mountains like a biking trail. In a solo chair set just off the ground, each rider twisted and turned down through the trees for a full 7 minutes without another rider in sight – peaceful and exciting at the same time. (Aug 14, 2016, Pigeon Forge)

The night at the Grand Ole Opry brought back memories from my childhood listening to the radio... as the longest running live radio show, our concert was recorded old style with the emcee speaking the commercials for the local grocery store and restaurant sponsors. The 2 hours flew by as each of the seven eclectic acts performed 3 songs. Although Carrie Underwood headlined, our favorite was a group of musicians who played all the old-time strings along with some harmonica, whistling and fancy footwork added to the mix. (Aug 11, 2016, Nashville, Tennessee)

While touring RCA's recording Studio B, our guide shared anecdotes about Elvis, Dolly and others who played this piano while recording their hits. The studio closed the day after Elvis died - although purely coincidental timing, it was a fitting tribute to one of their most prolific artists. (Aug 11, 2016, Nashville)

Well we can tick Greece's Parthenon off our bucket list since Tennessee built a full sized replica, with impressive attention to detail, as part of their 1897 Centennial Expo. (Aug 10, 2016, Nashville)

Outside people pedaled and drank their way around the few blocks of downtown's saloon filled Honky Tonk Row while inside the singer strutted along the bar. (Aug 9, 2016, Nashville)

A taxi driver told us that Nashville has become the place for bachelorette parties. Later we saw this poster so I guess those gals will rest easy knowing they can pre-book IV drips for the big night. (Aug 8, 2016, Nashville)

The World of Coca-Cola museum showcased the history of the soda and why it's done so well. It was one of the first products to brand it's name on everyday items including these circa 1970s bellbottom pants, and it's been served in space. In one room you could sample some of the 500+ beverages they sell worldwide - interesting to note the sweetness level some countries can tolerate. (Aug 6, 2016, Atlanta, Georgia)

Driving through northern Georgia and into Alabama we passed mile after mile of yard sales. We were caught in the annual Worlds Longest Yard Sale (who knew) that spans 3 states (includes Tennessee). We stopped at one with a food truck since they were serving fried peach pie. Thankfully it didn't taste good, so won't be added to our growing list of temptations. (Aug 7, 2016, Mentone, Alabama)

Savannah's square mile historic district was jaw dropping beautiful. With countless houses restored (from Free Black's homes to mansions) it made for lots of picture taking without a single one doing it justice. (Aug 4, 2016, Savannah, Georgia)

The historic area was designed with 24 park squares, each originally surrounded by 40 homes. With more precious green-space than other cities this one had a romantic, peaceful and lush feel that made it easy to walk for hours. (Aug 3, 2016, Savannah)

With our penchant for graveyards and this being a haunted city we spent some time in the Bonaventure Cemetery, considered one of the most beautiful. Live Oak trees draped with Spanish Moss, broken rot iron enclosures and a general unkemptness gave the place a ghostly look. (Aug 2, 2016, Savannah)

Continuing up the bible belt of the southern east coast, in the same day we read this full page ad in USA Today, crossed the state line into Georgia with its "In God We Trust" license plate and finally happened upon the Smallest Church in America. (July 31, 2016, Georgia)