Oswegatchie

As soon as Susan could get away from Fredericksburg after Mike’s Memorial Party she and Leah fled to her Dad’s house in Oswegatchie, NY.  It just so happens that Oswegatchie is on the way back to I-81 from Rollins Pond!  A series of texts and Facebook messages and I knew where to go and when to be there – luckily it was very easy from the main road since I couldn’t get to Facebook and had to rely on memory!

Since it was only 50 miles and Susan had plans for the morning I hung out in the campground! I finished my book, said goodbye to Mom and Dad who were heading to meet some friends and took a walk through the campground to scout spots for next time! Despite giving Mom and Dad and hour’s head start I still caught up with them at a rest stop just past Cranberry Lake!  This gave me another shot at teaching them to properly pronounce “Osewegatchie”, they just can’t make their tongues say it and butcher it every time – adding letters or calling it names of other towns in NY!

I arrived at Susan’s house to a warm welcome from Leah…she chained me up and threw me in the dungeon!

After Susan sprung me from the dungeon, (the yard equipment shed) and helped me out of the chains, (the hose), we went on a tour of town.  There’s not much to the town, and most of it I’d seen on the way in, but it was fun to see it and put a place to all the names I’d heard over the years!  We saw the smallest hospital in NY – where both Susan and Judy were born, Susan & Judy’s high school, the arena where folks play hockey, Star Lake, the grocery store, the post office, the drug store, the motel, the spot where the gas station used to be, where her Dad used to hold court as a Justice of the Peace and various friends houses!  I’m pretty sure it took longer for me to type that than it did to see it all! LOL!  All kidding aside, Oswegatchie is a beautiful place right on the edge of the Adirondacks, I totally see why Susan would run there after the tragedy of Mike’s death and why she’d consider moving there!

When we got back from our tour it was time for lunch! Susan’s Dad had made pizza and salad and it was yummy!  During lunch some friends stopped by and after that a few more friends stopped by!  I took this opportunity play with Leah and let the adults visit.  We watched part of Willy Wonka and then it was time to play pretend!  I love how creative Leah is these days! She’s really gotten into pretend play and it’s so much fun! 

Susan and I had some time to chat before I had to tear myself away and head down the road. Before I left Susan wanted to take some pictures and  think she got a great one of Leah attempting to strangle me.  I swear she does like me and is usually happy to see me! :-)

I was still an hour from I-81 and I didn’t really have a plan for where I was staying that night. I knew it was too far to get home and was hoping to find a Wal-Mart or something.  When I got back to where I had cell coverage I looked up OvernightRVParking.com to see what I could find.  All the Wal-Marts were off route and didn’t look as appealing.  Susan’s dad had told me there was a Wal-Mart in Cortland, it wasn’t in the database so I thought I’d go there and then I could enter it and get my subscription extended.  A few miles after I’d stopped in a “parking area” I came to a rest stop.  This rest stop had a State Police Outpost just like Clifton Park, hmmm…I wonder if all the rest stops have police present?  I wonder if they all allow overnight parking?  I decided I’d stop at the 1st rest area after Syracuse. 

I pulled into the Whitney Point rest area around 7:00. I was anticipating that I’d stay the night so tried to be strategic when I parked.  I almost pulled into the car area – so I wouldn’t take space from the truckers – but the sign said “Trucks & RVs” and the truck area is easier to get in and out of so I went over there.  They had a large parallel parking area that overlooked the valley, I was able to pull in there and pull all the way to the top so I was both visible to truckers and out of their way!  I wasn’t taking up a truck lane, I had a great view, and I was level!  There was a State Police outpost and there were a lot of trucks that looked like they were bedded down, either for the night or a long rest.  I attempted to ask someone if overnight parking was allowed but there was no one around.  I decided that it would probably be fine to stay the night and made some dinner and took it to the picnic table to eat! After dinner I tuned the TV and watched some Olympics, The Middle and Modern Family.  As the evening wore on more trucks arrived and few left!  By the time I called it a night around 10:30 the truck lot was full and so was the parallel parking area!  I guess overnight parking is allowed!

I actually got some decent sleep and woke up ready to drive the last 350 miles!  I headed down I81 into PA and then picked up 15 in Harrisburg and came on into Prince William County!  At the last rest stop I noticed the toilet was flushing funny…turns out the black tank was within about a cup of liquid from being totally full!  Good timing! I got home around 5:00 and did a basic unload of the RV, just what I needed for the night.  I had a meeting this morning for school and so tomorrow is set aside for emptying and cleaning the RV!