"Hocus Pocus", Our Friends Appear

Our drive to our next destination in Salem, Massachusetts, was eventful to say the least.  First, it was a long trip; we would be driving for over five hours, not including stops.  Second, we drove along New York and Massachusetts Highway 2, also known as the Taconic Trail in New York and the Mohawk Trail in Massachusetts.  The road is two lanes, with sharp curves, and sometimes rather narrow.  Third, because of the heat, the altitude, and the constant braking while descending on the hills, our tire monitor warned us on two different occasions that the front tires were getting too hot.  This meant that we had to stop two different times to let the tires cool off.  We made the first stop at a grocery store and took advantage of the stop to get groceries and eat lunch.  We made the second stop at a scenic overlook park with a historic graveyard from the early 1800s.  Indeed, the positive thing about this drive is that we got to see some amazingly beautiful hills, valleys, and rushing rivers along the way.

We finally arrived at our destination in the late afternoon: Winter Island Park in Salem, Massachusetts.  Winter Island Park is situated on the waterfront of Salem Harbor and our RV site backed up to Salem Bay, which is adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean.  The RV sites are located in a large parking lot that also accommodates cars and boats.  Our RV site had a picnic table, but no fire pit or grill.  We had water and electric hookups, but no sewer hookup, which meant that we would have to use the park’s shower facilities so we wouldn’t fill up the gray water tank.  

That evening, our friends Tommy and Don, who live in Salem, came to tour the RV, and brought us dinner.  Tim met Don over 30 years ago when they were both in the Turtle Creek Chorale in Dallas, Texas.  Separately, Pat met Tommy in Dallas through a mutual friend almost 30 years ago.  Tim and Don knew each other before Don and Tommy started dating, and Pat and Tommy knew each other before Tim and Pat started dating.  So, there is a lot of history there; including history before either couple started dating.  This makes for interesting conversation.  Tommy and Don stayed with us at the RV until late in the evening so we could have an opportunity to chat, just the four of us, before Don had to leave town on business.

The next day, Tommy and Don picked us up early afternoon and drove us to their new house for a tour.  We had visited Tommy and Don in Salem and stayed with them at their previous home before they moved to Iowa for a few years.  When they returned to Salem, they purchased a new home.  While at Tommy and Don’s home, we did some laundry, and Tommy took us to the grocery store and liquor store.  That evening, we ate dinner at a restaurant called Barnacle in nearby Marblehead, Massachusetts.  Tim had shrimp scampi, while Pat had baked stuffed jumbo shrimp.  

Later that evening, we went to the home of our friends Greg and Jimmy for a Tiki Party.  Greg and Jimmy have been friends with Tommy and Don since Tommy and Don first lived in Salem.  We met Greg and Jimmy on a cruise many years ago when many of Tommy and Don’s Salem friends took the same cruise that Tommy and Don had invited us to take.  Since then, we have been on many cruises with Greg and Jimmy and other Salem friends of Tommy and Don’s.  In fact, Greg and Jimmy were on the cruise we took from Ft. Lauderdale this past February (2023).  At that time, when Greg and Jimmy found out that we would be traveling through Salem, they promised then that they would throw a party to welcome us – and they did!  We had a great time at the party and really appreciated that Greg and Jimmy put it all together!

The next day was our last full day in Salem, and we wanted to invite the whole Salem crew over to the RV for grilled burgers and hot dogs.  We ignored the park rule stating that “public consumption of alcohol is prohibited” – oops. 

We laughed all afternoon with these wonderful guys: Tommy (Don left for a business trip), Greg, Jimmy, Paul, Shawn, Bob & Bob, Jim & Jim, and James.  These are all great guys, and we are lucky to call them friends.  We hope to have many more cruises and other parties with these guys.   

That evening, we cleaned, relaxed, and went to bed early since we would be leaving early the next morning.  We also noticed a small water leak on the bathroom floor near the corner where the sink meets the shower and wondered what was causing it.  We had many theories.  More to come in a future blog entry on the bathroom water leak mystery.

Review of Winter Island Park

Winter Island Park is owned and managed by the historic city of Salem, Massachusetts. It is situated on the waterfront of Salem Harbor, a short distance from the downtown area.  It is the closest campground to Boston, Massachusetts, on the North Shore. The campground offers 22 tent campsites and 28 RV campsites (eighteen 50-AMP and ten 30-AMP RV sites).  All RV sites have water and electrical hookups, but no sewer hookup (the park has an arrangement with the nearby Sewage Treatment Plant for campers to dump sewer for free).  Each RV site also has a picnic table, but no fire pit or grill.  Tent sites are equipped with a grill and picnic table, but no water or electricity.  The front gate locks at 10:00 p.m.; any cars returning after 10:00 p.m. can obtain a gate code before 10:00 p.m. or wait until 6:00 a.m. the following morning to enter.

Amenities include a public beach and a playground. There is also a bathroom/shower facility, which all campers must use since there are no sewer hookups.  We found the bathroom/shower facilities to have really muddy floors since it is also used by those utilizing the public beach.  Otherwise, the showers worked well and had hot water.  

In addition, Winter Island Park provides a number of recreational opportunities for the public including swimming, fishing, camping, and boating.  The Winter Island Office and Store provides basic camping necessities including snacks, drinks, and toiletries as well as Winter Island memorabilia such as T-shirts and sweatshirts.

We enjoyed the beautiful view of Salem Harbor that we had outside of our back window.  We also loved that the park was located close to downtown Salem, and it was not difficult to get an Uber or Lyft from the park (as our friend, Tommy, demonstrated when he decided to Uber to and from our RV site on the day we grilled).  Once in Salem, it is also easy to get a train to Boston.  For these reasons, we would consider returning to Winter Island Park if we find ourselves in Salem again.

Fun on the Lake with Close Friends

We were extra excited to be on our way to our next destination because we would be seeing and staying with our very close friends from New York City, Brad and Tony.  Tim and Brad sang together in the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus for over 15 years.  Tim and Brad hit it off almost immediately after Brad joined the chorus and Tim moved to the Bass section of the chorus.  Tim and Brad made a point of sitting together at rehearsals; and to the dismay of the conductor, making jokes with each other and gossiping throughout rehearsal.  After Tim and Brad introduced Pat and Tony to each other, we all became fast friends.  Brad and Tony own an apartment in Manhattan, but also have a lake house on Great Sacandaga Lake in upstate New York.  When we lived in New York City, we traveled on a few occasions to Brad and Tony’s lake house to spend a long weekend.  This time, we would be parking the RV at Northampton Beach Campground, which is located on the same lake (it is actually reachable by boat from Brad and Tony’s lake house).  We would be splitting our visit with two nights in the RV and two nights at Brad and Tony’s lake house. 

Our drive from Jones Pond in western New York took us south to the Southern Tier Expressway, and briefly into Pennsylvania along I-86, before heading back north again toward I-88, and then north on NY State Highway 30 to Mayfield (we avoid toll roads when we drive).  It started raining about a third of the way into the trip from western New York to upstate New York.  We made stops at Walmart for groceries and at a gas station to fill up on gas.  

The drive was about 6 hours, with stops, but we finally arrived at our destination: Northampton Beach Campground.  Northampton Beach is the eighth state park we have stayed in since we started full-time RV traveling.  Our RV site was dirt/grass with a picnic table and a very nice brick firepit.  The RV site backed up to Great Sacandaga Lake and was nestled under and next to trees, so we couldn’t get a signal on our Starlink.  The RV site was large and there was plenty of distance between us and our neighbors on either side.  Northampton Beach RV sites have no hookups though, so we needed to run our generator to run air conditioning and to keep the battery charged.  We also needed to use our freshwater tank for basic water needs and the nearby shower facility for showers.  There was a dump station located at the campground to dump our tanks upon exiting.  

We spent our first evening at Northampton Beach in the RV.  We were only allowed to run the generator between the hours of 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 and 7:00 p.m.  By the time we arrived at Northampton Beach and leveled the RV it was about 6:30 p.m., so we only had a half hour to run the generator and the air conditioning that evening.  It was a little warm trying to sleep through the night, but we made it to the morning when we were able to start the generator at 9:00 a.m.  

Later that morning, on the 4th of July, Brad and Tony came to the campground to pick us up for an Independence Day party at the home of their friends, Bruce and Jay.  First, we gave Brad and Tony a tour of the RV and answered the many questions they had about RV life.  After the tour, we went to the home of Bruce and Jay for the party.  We had the traditional burgers and hot dogs and enjoyed the sunny (and hot) weather.  We met a lot of people at the party, but particularly hit it off with Amy and Patricia (she goes by Pat but for purposes of our blog we will call her Patricia so as not to confuse her with our Pat), who we planned to meet up with the following day.  

Later that afternoon, we went to Brad and Tony’s lake house because we would be staying there that evening.  First, we went by the RV to run the generator a bit and check on the status of the house batteries, which were low (it seems the batteries are not holding a charge as well as before we ran them down in Chicago).  Once at Brad and Tony’s, none of us were that hungry because of all we had to eat at the party; so, we had some cheese and crackers, fruit, and wine, and headed down to Brad and Tony’s boat on the lake to watch the evening fireworks.  One of Brad and Tony’s neighbors is trained in handling the biggest and brightest fireworks, so he puts on a show for the neighbors each 4th of July.  The firework show was spectacular!  Very professionally done, and LOUD, since we were very close. 

After the fireworks, we retreated to Brad and Tony’s home and chatted for hours about our parents, work, retirement, New York City, the chorus, people in the chorus, and many other subjects.  

The next morning, Tony had to work but Brad took us to check on the RV battery, which was running low again, so we ran the generator for a bit to charge up the battery.  We also set the Automatic Generator Start to come on in the afternoon to charge up the battery when we wouldn’t be around.  

Around noon, Brad took us out on the boat to a restaurant on the lake where we could have lunch.  Brad’s friends, Art and Kenny, came along with us and we enjoyed laughing and chatting with our new friends, who also knew people in the chorus.  We had lunch at Sports Island Pub on the lake; Pat had a French Dip sandwich and Tim had the Cardon Bleu sandwich, which were delicious.  After lunch, we rode the boat back to Brad and Tony’s. 

Later that afternoon, we, along with Brad and Tony, met Amy and Patricia for happy hour at the club they all belong to, called The Eccentric Club. 

The club was founded in 1882 and is strictly a social club.  The club has been housed in the same building in downtown Gloversville, New York, since 1908.  The club only started welcoming women about 20 years ago, and Patricia was one of the first female members.  Brad and Tony most recently joined when the club started outreach to recruit “younger” members.  We thoroughly enjoyed our happy hour drinks with Amy, Patricia, Brad, and Tony.  Then, we headed to dinner at a restaurant called Sam's Seafood and Steakhouse; Tim had the surf and turf (sirloin steak and crab legs) while Pat had the crab-stuffed halibut. 

We all had some really deep conversations about sexual identity and loved ones.  We don’t know how it was possible, but we liked Amy and Patricia even more after that dinner.  We hope to see them again sometime.  We spent the evening at Brad and Tony’s lake house.

The next day was our last full day at Northampton Beach.  Brad and Tony took us back to the RV, where we grilled burgers and had fries.  After dinner, they took us to their favorite place for ice cream, called Zippy’s Ice Cream.  Oh, so good.  Sadly, we had to say our goodbyes afterward, as we would be staying in the RV at the campground that evening since we were leaving early the next morning.  It was difficult to say goodbye, because we don’t know when we will see Brad and Tony again, but we made a vow to work on meeting up somewhere within the next year.  

Sleeping in the RV that evening was even warmer, and the house batteries were draining quickly.  Tim got up early in the morning and found the house batteries to be nearly dead, so he tried to start the RV engine to charge up the house batteries.  For some reason, the RV engine would not start at first (we think Tim accidentally flooded the engine), but we did get it started about 30 minutes later and left the engine running until we left the campground.  Onward to see more old friends in Massachusetts!

Review of Northampton Beach Campground

Northampton Beach Campground is in the state park run by New York State and is located on the northwest corner of Great Sacandaga Lake in Mayfield, New York.  The lake was created by impoundment during the 1920's.  The reservoir regulates the flow of the Hudson and Sacandaga Rivers, providing a conservation pool of water, minimizing floods, providing flow at drought stages, and affording recreational boating and fishing opportunities.  

The campground has 223 campsites available for RVs or tents.  Campsites include those that are completely secluded within tall white pines and northern hardwoods, and those that are on the open shoreline.  All campsites have a picnic table area and a very nice firepit.  The campsites do not have any hookups.  There are bathroom/shower facilities, but these tended to be a bit dirty during our stay, given that everyone must use these facilities for their shower (and maybe bathroom) needs.  

Additional amenities include a beach on the lake, a boat launch, and fishing; and rowboat, canoe, and kayak rentals are available.  There is also mini golf and an ice cream parlor about a 5-minute walk from the entrance to the campground.

On the plus side, the campsites are spacious and beautiful.  On the downside, there are no hookups, so campers must rely on generators (or solar panels) and use the restroom/shower facilities provided for showers, which tended to be a bit dirty but were located near to our campsite.  We feel like this campground could rival the best state parks we have visited with a few changes and upgrades but after the difficulties we had with our house battery, we vowed never to stay at a place again that did not at least allow more generator use time.  So, we would not likely return to Northampton Beach Campground.

Two National Celebrations

Finally, our eastward drive took us into New York, our home State for the last 18 years!  We had to stop for groceries and lunch at Chipotle, but we finally made it to our first destination in New York: Jones Pond campground.  Jones Pond is the sixth gay campground we have stayed in since we started full-time RV traveling.  

Gay campgrounds tend to be out in the middle of nowhere, and this one was no exception.  There was a steep downhill dirt road leading to the entrance of Jones Pond; and once inside, there were two very large, unevenly placed speed bumps.  The campground is spread out, with narrow dirt and gravel roads leading to the RV sites (which became muddy as it rained a lot during our stay).  Our RV site was about as far away from the clubhouse and pool that you can get; however, we did have a lot of room at our RV site, which sat upon a hill and had a good distance on either side from our neighbors for a little more privacy.  Our RV site was gravel, with a picnic table and fire pit (no grill).  We had electric and water hookups, but no sewer hookups; so, we had to walk a fairly good distance to the shower facilities the three mornings we were there since we couldn’t dump our water.

On a brighter note, we immediately met our neighbors two RV sites down who were from Canada: Kevin and Dave.  That night we went to our first event at Jones Pond: Bingo!  We didn’t win, but we had fun anyway.  Later that evening we went to a dance party at the clubhouse, which is called The Barn and looks like a big, red barn. 

The theme at Jones Pond that weekend was Independence Day and Canada Day because it was the 4th of July weekend and also happened to be Canada Day weekend (Canada Day celebrates the day that the three separate colonies of the United Canadas, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, became one Canada).

The next morning it was sunny, so we ventured out to the pool to get some rays.  The pool had a limited number of lounge chairs for sunning, but we got two of the last available ones. 

In the early afternoon, it began to rain so Pat decided to do some laundry.  By mid-afternoon the rain had subsided, and Tim went to the Canada Day party at The Barn, where he enjoyed Bloody Caesars (the official cocktail of Canada, which look like a Bloody Mary, but are made with Clamato juice, which is a mixture of tomato and clam juice, rather than just tomato juice).  That evening we had intentions of going to the dance party in The Barn, but it began to rain; and as we established earlier, it was a long walk to The Barn, which we didn’t want to do in the rain.  So, we went to bed instead.

The next morning, Tim had coffee with neighbors Dave and Kevin, joined by their friends Rick, Tim, and Andrew.  That afternoon, the campground had a joint celebration of Independence Day and Canada Day with lunch and drinks provided by some of the seasonal campers at the campground; a silent auction (with some really high-priced and beautiful auction items); and a raffle.  We didn’t win anything, but we enjoyed bidding at the auction and the food was great.  The people were all very nice, so we had fun mingling as well.  In the late afternoon, it rained again, so Tim did some laundry.  The evening brought a fun drag show and more dancing at The Barn. 

After we returned to the RV, it rained all night, but stopped long enough in the morning for us to disconnect the water and electricity and start our drive toward our next destination. 

Review of Jones Pond 

Jones Pond in Angelica, New York, is over 100 acres in size and has 175 campsites with electric and water hookups.  There are no sewer hookups, but there is a sewer dump station located at the campground.  RV sites also include a picnic table and fire pit (no grill).  Most of the RV sites are for seasonal campers; only 19 RV sites are available to reserve on a shorter basis.  RV sites are large and can accommodate large RVs, with very spacious setups at each RV site.  In addition, there are 21 tent sites with water and electric hookups, 8 cabins, a bunkhouse, and 4 rental trailers.  

Jones Pond had recently constructed a new pool area, although the pool area still did not have enough loungers to accommodate the number of people who wanted to lounge at the pool.  Other amenities include restroom/shower facilities and a small laundry facility.  There is also a restaurant (open on weekends only), The Barn clubhouse, a general store for basic items, a lounge with a large tv and pool table, a large outdoor fire pit, and a volleyball field.  In addition, there is the 3-acre pond for which the campground is named and some hiking trails.

Drawbacks include that the campground is only reachable by a dirt road with a steep incline/decline, the roads within the campground are narrow and made of dirt and gravel, and the pool and main party area (The Barn) are near the entrance to the campground and a good walk from the RV sites.  Still, the people who run the campground are very nice; the seasonal campers are happy to offer free food and drinks to make newer campers feel welcome; and the RV sites are spacious.  All in all, we would consider returning to Jones Pond in the future.