Mod: Magnetic Storage Strip

When we remodeled our kitchen 4 years ago, I bought a few magnetic strips thinking that they are so cool and handy, but we just never could think of a good place or use for them.  So when shopping the basement work room earlier for something to make feet for the cooler mod, I came across them an decided they might be a handy way to store the s'mores forks in the back hatch!  I also added a couple of the storage tins I bought to go with them, in case we come up for a use for them.

Mod: 12v outlet for the Coleman thermoelectric cooler

...or our cheap way to add our most coveted portion of an outdoor kitchen.  So after an online thread about thermoelectric coolers for tenting or pop-up camping, I recalled that we had one sitting in our basement not seeing any use since we installed a fridge in our Aliner.  So the lightbulb went off and I thought why not add a 12v outlet to our big storage hatch in the back and use our cooler like a mini fridge accessible from outside?  The whole thing cost us all of $4 for the outlet, sweet!

It was wicket easy to tap into the 12v line to the light in the hatch:

Probably the most labor intensive part of this project was making little feet so the door will swing open fridge-style and clear the hatch frame.  I just cut some hunks of 2x4 then used both adhesive and some decking screws we had around, the screws aren't super long, thus the belt and suspenders of the adhesive:

Voila!  Our "new" mini fridge for beverages and condiments!:

And here's how I think it will ride when we are in transit to avoid toppling over: 

I'm thinking we won't use it when dry camping because of the draw on our batteries.  We do have a pair of 6v golf cart batteries, so we have quite a bit of juice...but I'll have to do the math on how long this would hold up, not too long before frying them I would think and it obviously isn't a necessity.

Mod: Bathroom Light Switch

Since I am not terribly tall, and Theo isn't yet either, I've been wishing for a switch for the light in the bathroom.  So I ordered up the switch and Kevin did the installation.  He was able to fish the wire through the ceiling, but we decided to use surface mounted wire molding for the wall portion.  It turned out great and works like a charm!

Notable Sight: Phineas Gage Monument

A throwback to high school psychology: we learned that the Phineas Gage accident happened in Vermont, not so very far off of our planned travel route, so we decided to go have a look at the monument:

I would have liked to have taken a little hike along the train tracks to try to find the actual site of the accident, but Theo was a bit grossed out by the whole story so we just went along on our merry way.

VT - Button Bay State Park

Right on the shore of Lake Champlain is Button Bay State Park, what a beautiful park!

We were on site 52, right on the water - and yes, I booked this site months and months in advance :)

The only negative was that there had been days and days of heavy rain before our arrival and the site was really soggy.  It was also right next to the access to the water, so not the most private of spots by any means...but that's the tradeoff for the million dollar view.

We did lots of paddling and swimming, mostly in the lake (it is reeeeeally shallow in the bay) but some swimming in the pool at the park as well.  It even has a little waterslide.

We also did a little island exploring: 

And some dog walking: 

And wore them out: 

And there is a small air strip nearby.  I don't know if there was something special going on or if Sundays are just the time to fly in for lunch or something, but it was cool to be right under the approach!  We saw some really cool planes, many of them while we were out paddling without my phone, but we saw a cool float plane and a Steerman biplane among others.

No pictures from Theo's favorite part of the weekend - stargazing on Saturday night.  Without light pollution or tree cover we could see the Milky Way and billions and billions of stars (ok, well maybe we didn't see THAT many Carl...) but it was just brilliant.  We actually had a hard time identifying some of the standard constellations that we know well since there were so many additional stars around them!

Oh, and this is the first time we've seen this - a charging room at the comfort station: 

Repair: New sealant and graphics

We noticed that some of our sealants were starting to crack and peel away and decided to take the sissy way out and hire Elite Transformations in Portland, CT to remove the old and reseal the whole thing.  And while they were at it, we asked them to fix up the peeling decals on the front and back.  The picking out of the old sealant is a ton of work, and I know it would take us weeks to complete, not to mention make us crabby...so we're happy that Chris and his crew was able to help and did a great job!

And the new graphics look awesome!  We really like the classic Flying W lettering.

In hindsight we should have negotiated a re-seal job into the purchase from the dealer last year.  Lesson learned.  But then again, I wonder if they would have done as careful and complete a job as Chris at Elite Transformations.

NY - Moose Hillock Camping Resort

We really like the original Moose Hillock in New Hampshire, so we decided to try their new one in the Lake George area of upstate New York in the Adirondaks.  They run a class act campground in NH, and NY is no exception!  This was not a kick back and relax type of trip, more of a Theo type trip, but we had a blast!

We were initially on site #726 - huge site, as are all of them really.

But our neighboring site had a family on it with a dad whose voice carried loudly...and with the campground being brand new it wasn't full, so we asked for a different site.  Might as well go for quiet and privacy if it was available!

So we ended up the rest of the nights on site #714, also huge.

#714 is next to a big area they obviously used for fill and excavation work, so it was a nice spot to walk the puppies.  The campground and sites are all covered with fairly big crushed rock, not the easiest on dog feet, however our boys didn't indicate any issues with them (in fact Daniel was laying on the rocks at the campsite even though we brought their beds out)  I'm thinking with time the rocks will get pressed down a little better and be a bit smoother.  The only thing this place needs, though, is a dog park!

So, the piece de resistance at Moose Hillock is the awesome pool: 

Theo swam so much that he was ultra pruney!

Some nights they open up for a twilight swim, which was way cool with the lights!

And just like NH, they offer an ice cream social and family fun entertainment on Saturday nights:

Theo spent his share of time in the arcade: 

We also went into town and did some go karting: 

And we did the zipline course at Adirondak Extreme, which was awesome!

And across the street from Moose Hillock is a great little ice cream shop and mini golf place called Hillbilly Fun Park.  Very well kept mini golf, two courses - we played the New York themed one: 

And the ice cream is enormous! 

This is a single scoop: 

We had heard from friends that the rocks at Moose Hillock were not so paw friendly, so I had looked up a dog park in the area to take the boys.  It is at Sutherland's Petworks food and supply store, called the Backyard Dog Park.  Since it isn't public, we needed to complete some forms with proof of rabies, etc. and there is a drop in fee of $5 each.  It was a good option, but there weren't any other dogs there during our visit.  And the big problem was that we walked through dog food/treat/toy nirvana to get to the play area, so the boys played a little then sat by the fence gate wanting back into that magical place!  Oh well.

We also hit Davidson Brothers Brewery in Glens Falls based on a recommendation from a friend - a great sampler and we had to try the fried pickles!