Not done yet

Well, we're done with the big trip, but not with the T@B. You'd think after five weeks and 8000 miles we'd be so over the trailer. Nope.

Of course, coming back to work and home took a toll on our time. The house didn't fall down during us being away, but a lot of spiders tried to take over. Luckily, during this very rainy summer, we had someone mow the lawn - but that didn't keep it from looking rather tropical on the edges.

Anyway, suffice it to say that unpacking the trailer from the trip (don't need extra laundry detergent and canned corn for a weekend), cleaning it out (five weeks of dust in the wheel wells), and repacking it for a weekend was a last minute affair.

Our destination was Syracuse, New York. Every year, we go up there to kayak the Salmon River during one of its release weekends. It's a lovely river, with lots of kayak surfing waves. What isn't so lovely is that most of the hotels are full due to a giant classic car show. So, this time around, we'd stay in the trailer.

"Lord, won't you buy me
a Mercedes-Benz
My friends all drive Porsches
I must make amends..."

But instead of our trusty Honda Odyssey, I borrowed a Mercedes-Benz GL 320 Bluetec diesel SUV from the office. (It's the big tan thing in the corner of the photo above.) The kayaks slid inside, and it was all set up for towing the T@B. Off we went, to Green Lakes State Park outside of Syracuse.


It really was a lovely campsite, tucked back into the trees. Only one problem:


It was at the top of a hill, requiring me to back the trailer up between the trees. Or, just drive through the adjacent (empty) site and park the trailer. I think we drew more attention than normal, maybe from the Mercedes, or maybe from the diesel clatter as I backed the trailer up the hill to fine-tune its position.

The campground was lovely, with the green lakes referring to their color. They weren't growing anything; instead they are deep glacial lakes, and minerals in the water give them their color. Nice campsites, nice lakes, and a very helpful staff who was ready to bust late generator users or noisy neighbors. ("We give them a warning, and if it goes on, well, it's game on!" said the enthusiastic nighttime ranger. Good guy.)

The T@B was comfy as always, and once again, it downpoured. The Mercedes was nice enough, but I can't say it pulled the trailer any better than our van, and fuel economy was the same.

We enjoyed kayaking and meeting friends for Thai food downtown. (How downtown Syracuse has some of the best Thai food I've ever had is one of life's pleasant little mysteries.)

But there are trailer changes over the horizon....