Our seven week journey was the most memorable trip I’ve ever taken. There were so many unexpected opportunities only made possible by all the wonderful people we met along the way. We appreciate everyone’s patience with our ever changing schedule as folks contacted us and said “if you are near, come visit!” We tried to meet as many people as possible, but at times the timing just didn’t work out.

Here are some stats from the trip:
1) We drove over 10,043 Miles
2) Trip lasted 49 days
3) We passed through 27 States (It would have only been 26 states, but Ann accidently drove into Colorado, before I looked up from my computer to see we were going the wrong way . . . lol)
4) We saw all 5 Great Lakes
5) We had 0 car problems!
6) Number of tickets . . . 0 (warnings 0)
7) Total cost of trip (unknown at this point, but would have been higher without all the generous jeepers)
8) Amount of debt from trip — $0. We don’t use credit cards.
9) Number of museums visited: 20
10) Number of National Parks: 4
11) Number of fights between Ann and I: Zero
12) Total amount of fun we had: incalculable!

All the posts related to the trip:

• Overview: 2013 East Coast Trip Overview 
• Day 1 – Sat. May 4th: Miracle of America Museum, Polson, MT
• Day 2 – Sun. May 5th: Cowboys, Vistas, and Pirates
• Day 3 & 4 – Mon. May 6th & Tues. May 7th: Bismarck, ND For Two Nights
• Day 5 – Wed. May 8th: Don’s 1962 Wagon and Mr. Jangles
• Day 6 – Thurs. May 9th: Rain Rain Go Away
• Day 7 – Fri. May 10th: From Iron Mountain to Mackinaw City
• Day 8 – Sat. May 11th: Fire Engines, 16,000 Toys and A Destroyer
• Day 9 – Sun. May 12th: Tuckered Out? Then Visit a Firehouse
• Day 10 & 11 – Mon. May 13th Rest & Tue. May 14th: Crust, Raisins, and Smoked Pork
• Day 12 & 13 – Wed. May 15th & Thurs. May 16th: Mixers, Foodies & Heavy Equipment
• Day 14 – Fri. May 17th: Day 1 of the Midwest Willys Reunion
• Day 15 – Sat. May 18th: At the Reunion; A Brick Shy of a Full Load
• Day 16 – Sun. May 19th: On the Road to Gettysburg
• Day 17 – Mon. May 20th: Gettysburg and A Little Slice of Heaven
• Day 18 – Tues. May 21st: Food and Jeep Rides
• Day 19 – Wed. May 22nd: Old Cars and Chocolate Shots
• Day 20 – Thurs. May 23rd: And Then it Started Raining at the Worst Time
• Day 21 – Fri. May 24th: Jeeps, Meats, and Beeps
• Day 22 & 23 – Sat. May 25th & Sun. May 26th: NYC & Family With Karson
• Day 24 – Mon. May 27th: Peter Debella Jeep Parts
• Day 25 – Tues. May 28th: Some Family History
• Day 26 – Wed. May 29th: Exploring Mystic
• Day 27 – Thur. May 30th: A Submarine, A Lighthouse, and Lobsters
• Day 28 – Fri. May 31st: The Breakfast Club and Vintage Wiring
• Day 29 – Sat. June 1st: Acadia National Park
• Day 30 – Sun. June 2nd: State #49 Was Exciting!
• Day 31 – Mon. June 3rd: Through Russia With Love
• Day 32 & 33 – Tues. June 4th & Wed. June 5th: Rudeness at the Parkside Diner
• Day 34 – Thurs. June 6th: Carousels and Awards
• Day 35 – Fri. June 7th: An Old Building and New Cars
• Day 36 – Sat. June 8th: Escape to the Movies
• Day 37 – Sun. June 9th: Defecting to Canada
• Day 38 – Mon. June 10th: Trains and Planes
• Day 39 – Tues. June 11th: Checking Out Butler
• Day 40 – Wed. June 12th: A Collection Worthy of a Kaiser
• Day 41- Thurs. June 13th: Heinz History Museum
• Day 42 – Fri. June 14th: At the Bantam Festival
• Day 43 – Sat. June 15th: The Crowds Arrive; As Does a Storm
• Day 44 – Sun. June 16th: Escaping the Rain to Packard-ville
• Day 45 – Mon. June 17th: Three Museums & Steve
• Day 46 – Tues. June 18th: Shabu Shabu and Pipes
• Day 47 – Wed. June 19th: House on the Rock & Steve
• Day 48 – Thurs. June 20th: Meeting Karson’s Team
• Day 49 – Frid. June 21st: Arrive home (No link)

<– Day 1 – Sat. May 4th: Miracle of America Museum, Polson, MT | Trip Overview | Day 3 & 4 – Mon. May 6th & Tues. May 7th: Bismarck, North Dakota –>

UPDATE: Busted!  On our way out of the National Park we spotted the ‘pirates’ car off to the side in a parking area parked by itself. We believe they were arrested and their car left there, because there was no sign of them 🙂

Our goal for today (Sunday)  was to reach Theodore Roosevelt National Park at the western edge of North Dakota. Since we spent most of our time driving through Eastern Montana, I’d love to share that experience with you, but I had my nose buried in my computer, so I didn’t see much. Occasionally, Ann would point out something of interest and I would look up. But, I had my reading glasses on, so everything looked pretty blurry beyond the car. However, the weather was beautiful and sunny, the temperatures a perfect seventy degrees. Fortunately, she didn’t see too much interesting either. Just lots of rolling grassy hills. I can see why cowboys like it here.

We saw this sign at a rest stop

I have to say that I will gladly take those endless grassy hills and the sunny weather over last week’s weather along I-94: it was closed due to a blizzard. Yikes!

Around 3:30pm we reached the campground at the National Park. We found a nice campsite and got it set up, before touring the 25(?) miles long loop trail.

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<– Day 2 Sun. May 5th: Cowboys, Vistas, and Pirates  | Trip Overview | Day 5 – Wed. May 8th: Don’s 1962 Wagon and Mr. Jangles –>

On Monday May 6th we drove east on I-94 from Theodore Roosevelt National Park to Bismarck, North Dakota.

We spent two days visiting a family that used to live across the street from Ann Pasco.

On Tuesday evening, we left Bismarck to spend the night in Fargo, North Dakota.

By the time we arrived in Fargo it was dark and cold. We toured the town very briefly (learning years later we missed downtown entirely).

On the morning of May 8th, we left Fargo for St. Paul.

<– Day 2 Sun. May 5th: Cowboys, Vistas, and Pirates  | Trip Overview | Day 5 – Wed. May 8th: Don’s 1962 Wagon and Mr. Jangles –>

<– Day 6 – Thurs. May 9th: Rain Rain Go Away | Trip Overview | Day 8 – Sat. May 11th: Fire Engines, 16,000 Toys and A Destroyer –>

Whitefish Point Lighthouse and the Shipwreck Museum on Lake Superior

Well it worked. I wished the rain away and we didn’t see any all day. However, I forgot to wish the cold away. But, I’ll take the cool temperatures over the rain.

Today, Friday May 10th, our first goal was to drive to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point near Paradise, MI, where a light saving beacon has been maintained in one form or another since 1849.

On Friday May 10th we drove from Iron Mountain to Mackinaw City.

On our way to the museum, we encountered a couple different jeeps. One was in the form of a wooden jeep at a Big Boy Burger restaurant in Manistique, MI. This one included a slide. Ann tried real hard to get a shot of me on the slide. Unfortunately, our memory card lost the pictures I took of the front of the wood jeep (time for new memory card).

The next jeep we saw at an old motel near Tahquamenon Falls State Park in Michigan. There was a dog near the jeep that wasn’t too happy to see me taking photos, so I kept my distance. It looks like someone took the time to fabricate a custom hardtop.

We finally reached Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point around 2pm. It was later than I expected to be there, by at least one hour, because we crossed into another pesky time zone. I always thought Michigan was in the Central Time Zone. It turns out only a small portion of it is (to be fair, this is my first visit to the great state of Michigan).

The museum costs $13/per adult. However, if you have an active military ID, you and a friend can get in free. However, they don’t advertise that fact, so you’ll have to ask about it.  We had a nice time looking around the exhibits.

There are plenty of harrowing stories of sailors freezing, drowning, and dying. To be fair, many people were saved by life-saving crews as well. If you are in the area, it’s worth dropping by to see. The fact that of the 550 known major shipwrecks lying on the bottom of the lake, at least 200 of them are in the vicinity of Whitefish Point, underscores the importance of alerting sailors to the dangers of the area.

Here we are at Lake Superior. You can just see Canada behind us in the distance.

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<– Day 8 – Sat. May 11th: Fire Engines, 16,000 Toys and A Destroyer  | Trip Overview | Day 10 & 11 – Mon. May 13th Rest & Tue. May 14th: Crust, Raisins, and Smoked Pork –>

On Sunday we spent the day sightseeing.

Sunday’s drive was a short one down to Ypsilanti and back.

On Sunday Ann and I drove down to Ypsilanti, MI, which is about an hour south of where we are staying in Fenton, MI. Our goal was the Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum (aka Miller Motors), which has a real Tucker and a fiberglass fake Tucker (or so I’m told) made for the Tucker movie.

Ever since I learned Ypsilanti was home to Preston Tucker, I’ve wanted to visit this museum. So, I triple checked the website to make sure it was open on Sunday. The site confirmed this was true. Confident the museum would be open, we arrived at noon Sunday, only to find the museum closed. I was bummed.

So sad . . . I looked in all the windows.

Brian had mentioned the Michigan Firehouse Museum in Ypsi was worth a look. So, we decided to check that out. It consists of an old renovated fire station with a building extension that housed different types of fire trucks, fire fighting equipment, and information. It is a fine exhibit, but after Saturday’s experience with Jim Dobson, our fire-museum quality bar was set pretty high.

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<– Day 12 & 13 – Wed. May 15th & Thurs. May 16th: Mixers, Foodies & Heavy Equipment   | Trip Overview | Day 15 – Sat. May 18th: At the Reunion; A Brick Shy of a Full Load –>

Friday morning we awoke in Hudson, Ohio, a short distance away from the reunion, to a beautiful sunny day. I spent the morning honing Saturday’s presentation. I will be sharing with the audience (assuming more than just Ann shows up) why I run eWillys, how I do it, the challenges, and what the future holds.

On Friday afternoon we made our way to the Clarion Hotel where the 2013 Midwest Willys Reunion is being held. After a quick practice run through the presentation with the slide projector, Ann and I went out to look at all the jeeps.

It seemed every few steps we took someone approached us to share how much they enjoyed eWillys. It’s great to know the site is enjoyed by so many enthusiastic readers and it was fun putting names to faces and shaking hands.

As you can see from the pictures, there were plenty of jeeps to browse today. More are expected tomorrow.

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<– Day 15 – Sat. May 18th: At the Reunion; A Brick Shy of a Full Load  | Trip Overview | Day 17 – Mon. May 20th: Gettysburg and A Little Slice of Heaven –>

On Sunday, we didn’t participate in the ritual Sunday drive through Cuyahoga National Park. Instead, we headed for Gettysburg. However, I was able to get a few pics from the ride:

As folks toured in their jeeps, we exited Hudson, Ohio.

Sunday’s drive from Hudson, Ohio, to Gettysburg.

As we wound our way through Pennsylvania to Gettysburg, the toll roads lightened our wallets to the point we were considering taking out a bank loan. In addition, we encountered clouds that were as thick as fog as we traversed a few tall hills. Isn’t it summer yet?

Finally, it seems the only photo we took all day was a blurry photo a barn. On the bright side, we got a killer deal of $51/night at a Marriott hotel using Priceline, so we plan to stay two nights in Gettysburg.

Tomorrow we will see the Gettysburg battlefield and museum.

<– Day 15 – Sat. May 18th: At the Reunion; A Brick Shy of a Full Load  | Trip Overview | Day 17 – Mon. May 20th: Gettysburg and A Little Slice of Heaven –>

<– Day 16 – Sun. May 19th: On the Road to Gettysburg | Trip Overview | Day 18 – Tues. May 21st: Food and Jeep Rides –>

Adam, Me and Frank inside the large shop that houses their collections.

On Monday we took full advantage of a lazy morning and didn’t leave the motel until the crack of noon. Our first stop was downtown Gettysburg, where we walked around a bit. I can’t imagine why Lincoln would be so popular around this town!

Soon, we were hungry, so we stopped at  Hunts Battlefield Fries and Cafe, a place just south of downtown known (according to the internet) for it’s fresh fries and good burgers.

True to our internet source’s information, the fries were good and there were a lot of them! Ann had a grilled ham/cheese/bacon sandwich that she enjoyed. I had a burger with a good bun and tasty meat. They put no extras on the burger . . . maybe I was supposed to ask for them? It was good anyway.

After lunch we drove to the Gettysburg Battlefield National Park Visitor’s Center. It’s a beautiful new structure. While the surrounding park is free, the museum, the cyclorama and the movie at the visitor’s center costs money. We tried all three and liked the movie the best. After the movie we were whisked upstairs to see the cyclorama. We wished they’d explained what a cyclorama was and underscored how old the cyclorama’s painting was before the show began rather than at the end.

The museum had several groups of school kids completing assignments, so we moved through it rather quickly. It didn’t hit us until near the end of the museum that the different areas of the museum represented each day of the Gettysburg battle. I think it would have been useful to have a sense of nightfall and sunrise as people pass from Day 1 to Day 2 and Day 2 to Day 3.

With the visitor’s center complete, we did a quick tour of the surrounding area:

After touring the park, we headed over to visit Frank at his home, just a few miles north of Gettysburg. Frank had explained that he had some jeeps for us to see.

Entrusting our visit to Siri (iPhone), I asked her to get me directions to Frank’s house. All was going well until we turned into Frank’s long driveway. At that point, Siri warned us to park the vehicle and walk. Ann and I turned to each other and started cracking up. Apparently, Siri was concerned about our well-being and felt we were too far off the road. We were convinced Siri would start yelling “Danger, Danger” and start assimilating us to force us to turnaround. Eventually, I had enough of Siri’s warnings and shut her down.

We finally found Frank and his son Adam at their shop where they keep their collections. As Ann and I marveled at the beauty of the shop, the surrounding barns, and the rolling landscape, Frank explained that he owned three hundred acres of land. He called it a slice of heaven. We could not argue with that description.

Frank and Adam gave us a tour. As you can see in the pictures, they’ve assembled some great stuff. There jeep collection includes a few original paintings, five military jeeps, toys, models, and a CJ-2A they are restoring. They enjoyed sharing their collection with us and we felt honored to be invited. Here are a few photos.

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<– Day 17 – Mon. May 20th: Gettysburg and A Little Slice of Heaven  | Trip Overview | Day 19 – Wed. May 22nd: Old Cars and Chocolate Shots –>

TWO UPDATES From the original post:

1. We will spend Wednesday in Hershey, PA. We have plans for Thursday in Lancaster and Friday morning in Kempton, PA. From there we will be driving to Long Island on Friday and meeting up with my son (unless they ship him out to Oklahoma). We’ll be staying in the Sea Cliff area through Tuesday morning and then driving up to Connecticut. I hope to have a map update in the next couple of days.
2. On Wednesday morning I finished version one of the Amber Panels of Konigsberg book (YEAH!). I still need to build one graphic and dump the text into the formatted book template, but then I’ll be sending it to the publisher for printing. I plan to do a limited run of fifty books as a “Bantam Festival Special”. LIke the last book, I’m sure there are a few errors that people will find. Once I fix the text, I’ll open the book up for general sales (sometime in mid-July?).

On Tuesday we spent the day with Tom, then Merlin, then headed to Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Merlin and Ann driving in a 1941 MB down a forgotten Maryland road.

Tuesday’s drive from Gettysburg to Hershey

After we left Gettysburg on Tuesday, we drove a few miles east to Tom’s house to check out his Truck and Wagon. Tom’s 1948 truck is his daily driver. He’s added some disc brakes and a Ford 302, so it’s got some power and stopping speed. He also rebuilt the entire rear bed and it looks great!

The wagon is a cheap beast he bought that his son now plays with. It’s got lots of rust issues, but runs good.

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<– Day 19 – Wed. May 22nd: Old Cars and Chocolate Shots  | Trip Overview | Day 21 – Fri. May 24th: Jeeps, Meats, and Beeps –>

Henry performing ‘toppage’ on a Jeepster in a downpour . . .

Today we plan on visit Bill and Henry at Lime Street Carriage in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

On Thursday we drove from Ronks, Pennsylvania, to Reading, Pennsylvania.

Ann and I awoke to a rainy morning in Ronks, PA. I’m not certain Ronks is a town, but it’s definitely a street. I do know for certain there’s a Waffle House off of Ronks street because we ate a midnight dinner there last night, because I wanted some grits: scrambled eggs, bacon and grits to be exact. Yeah, I know their butter is really hydrogenated oil coupled with other ingredients requiring a chemistry masters to decipher; I enjoyed my grits just the same.

Our goal today was Bill Reiss’ Lime Street Carriage in downtown Lancaster. Ronks is only a short drive away, so it didn’t take long for us to get there. When we arrived at Bill’s, he showed us around his current showroom of jeeps (and other vehicles) for sale. He explained that he’s in the middle of a renovation. His building was formerly a Studebaker dealership and other businesses. He laughed about the seven layers of carpet and three false ceilings he’s torn out of one area of the building. On the plus side, he was able to open up a great deal of space. Even though there’s plenty of work left, it’s easy to see how great the space will be when he’s done.

Here are Bill and I checking out a few of the jeeps in his shop. There are several 2As and a CJ-5 lined up there.

Here are twins Norm (on the left) and Norma. Norma is named Norma, because she’s prettier.

Bill has this vintage truck for sale.

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<– Day 20 – Thurs. May 23rd: And Then it Started Raining at the Worst Time | Trip Overview | Day 22 & 23 – Sat. May 25th & Sun. May 26th: NYC & Family With Karson –>

The new Great Willys Picnic Banner unfurled!

We started out the morning in Reading, PA. Our first objective was to meet Seth in Kempton. I felt bad about not being around for the Picnic, so meeting up with Seth was the next best thing.

On Friday we drove from Reading, Pennsylvania, to Sea Cliff, New York.

Seth’s place is hidden among some of the endless Pennsylvania hills. It’s east to see how much fun having a jeep would be for cruising all the quiet backgrounds in the area.

Another quiet Pennsylvania road.

This is one of many old barns in excellent condition set against a quaint backdrop.

By the time we arrived, Seth and his wife Heather were waiting for us at their house atop a windy hill. It’s a great vintage looking home that was built only ten years ago. Their son Levi wanted to join us, but had to go to school instead. I signed a poster and told him I’d try to get to the Picnic next year.

Seth volunteered to get his jeeps out of the shed (despite some drizzle) so we could photograph them. We didn’t have to push either of them! He’s got some additional jeeps in back that serve as parts vehicles. Seth also got a few neat signs on the walls.

Ann and I enjoyed their company very much and look forward to more time next year! Thanks for the coffee cake, too! Here are a few pics:

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<– Day 22 & 23 – Sat. May 25th & Sun. May 26th: NYC & Family With Karson | Trip Overview | Day 25 – Tues. May 28th: Some Family History –>

Peter Debella and I at Peter Debella Jeep Parts in Riverhead, Long Island

On Monday we drove east on Long Island to Riverhead, New York.

Monday’s drive to visit Peter Debella in Riverhead.

On Monday we dropped off Karson at his ‘home’ (an Extended Stay Inn), exchanged good byes, and headed east to meet with Peter Debella in Riverhead, New York. Peter runs Peter Debella Jeep Parts. He invited Ann and I out to see some of the jeeps and parts he has.

This unlucky parts jeep got hit by a falling tree during a storm.

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<– Day 21 – Fri. May 24th: Jeeps, Meats, and Beeps  | Trip Overview | Day 24 – Mon. May 27th: Peter Debella Jeep Parts –>

Karson, Ann, and I on the Long Island Train heading into the city.

SATURDAY MAY 25TH: On Saturday, went to Manhattan for the day, then drove to a relative’s place in Quogue. New York.

Our Saturday travels to Manhattan, then to Quogue.

First, we joined the rest of Manhattan and half of Connecticut when we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It has been almost exactly thirty years since I’d last seen the museum at age 17. I’m pretty sure in the past thirty years the museum has doubled in size. Well, that or my 47 year old legs are a little more tired than they should be. I guess that’s the downside of spending the last three months either traveling or writing. I look forward to getting back into shape when we return to Pasco.

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<– Day 24 – Mon. May 27th: Peter Debella Jeep Parts  | Trip Overview | Day 26 – Wed. May 29th: Exploring Mystic –>

I undiscovered some gems for my upcoming book on my family’s history.

Over Memorial Day Weekend we stayed  in Sea Cliff, New York, at the Guerci’s house. My relationship with the Guerci’s is another internet-sent miracle. The Guerci’s live in my great aunt Emma’s painting studio, one built on the former Eilers’ Estate.

A few years ago, Leslie contacted me and told me they were living there and were looking for a Emma Eilers‘ painting for their house. Mom and I gave them one for free that needed a little restoration work. Since then, we’ve built a very warm relationship and they have opened their home to Ann and I any time our weary traveling feet climb their stairs. Last weekend they welcomed Karson as well, which gave me a wonderful opportunity to explain some of the family history to him and show him the remaining family homes in the area. I never expected to have that opportunity.

After we said our goodbyes to Sea Cliff, we drove a short distance to Darien, CT, for a dose of family history from a man named George who married one of my father’s cousins.

Tuesday’s drive from Sea Cliff, New York. to Darien, CT.

I’d never met George and barely knew of him before we exchanged a few emails prior to our trip out here. I told him we were traveling east and he invited us to stay right away.

George Ratcliff and I

A former president of a reinsurance company, the eighty-five year old had plenty of interesting family stories from the ‘eastern Eilers’ clan, as well as pictures and information. One of the most fascinating tidbits of information was the reason behind my grandfather’s 1924 trip with his brother through Europe. His mother (my great grandmother) made him take his brother to Europe so that he wouldn’t marry the ‘wrong’ girl. That scheme didn’t work and the man returned from Europe to marry the ‘wrong’ girl anyway and have a happy long life with her.

George enjoyed painting for much of his life. He said that he couldn’t wait to retire so he could paint all the time. However, when he retired, he stopped painting altogether, something he never understood.

George told us about a house on Martha’s Vineyard he and his wife purchased (and later sold – then, it was torn down and replaced). He painted their island house and allowed us to take a picture of it. The painting is full of specific references to family members and life at the vineyard. You might recognize the house as the location used as ‘Brody’s house’ for the first Jaws movie.

George’s wife Jean Eilers passed away a few years ago. In a sweet gesture, he still kept her recipe holder on the counter that held a recipe she’d placed there before she died. The funny thing is, he never liked that particular recipe. He likened his marriage to baseball. Some batters walk up to the bases and strike out a few times. If they are lucky, they might hit a home run. With his wife, he walked up to the plate and hit a home run on the first pitch. With a batting average of 1000, he explained, he has no desire to step up to the plate again. Very romantic.

A little family history:

Below is the first page of an 1859 story that was originally written in French by my great great grandmother’s brother, Eugene Farny. In it he describes the Farny family’s move in 1959 (along with all their possessions, including horses and chickens) on a 30-foot raft from Tionesta, Pennsylvania, down the Allegheny River to Cincinnati. It was quite the journey!

Here’s a photo of my great grand parents, circa 1913, sitting at a desk. It may have been part of a photo shoot for their 50th wedding anniversary. I can’t think of another reason to create such a casual photo.

This photo of the family hiking in the Alps was likely taken in 1914, just prior to the start of the war. My family got stuck in Germany as WWI engulfed Europe.

My great grandfather Karl is far right. Next to him is my great grandmother Leonie. Their daughter Leonie is behind them, followed by their youngest son Farny and their oldest son, my grandfather, Fritz.

Another interesting piece of art was this painting by Emma Eilers showing Farny Eilers, my grandfather’s brother, riding a bike around his parents house (my great grandparents place). The house still stands in Sea Cliff.

Not the best photo of it, but it’s an unusual painting, as I believe it is one of only two paintings Emma did that included a male. She preferred painting landscapes and women.

We had a great time with George, as he was full of stories. On Wednesday, we drive to Rhode Island.

<– Day 24 – Mon. May 27th: Peter Debella Jeep Parts  | Trip Overview | Day 26 – Wed. May 29th: Exploring Mystic –>

<– Day 25 – Tues. May 28th: Some Family History | Trip Overview | Day 27 – Thur. May 30th: A Submarine, A Lighthouse, and Lobsters –>

Another “if built for a movie, then built for real, people will come” story … Mystic Pizza.

On Wednesday we drove from Darien, Connecticut, to Warwick, Rhode Island.

Wednesday’s drive from Darien to Warwick.

Wednesday morning we left my cousin-by-marriage George’s place. It was a beautiful day for a drive along the coast.

We traveled east along the Connecticut shoreline until we stumbled on the town of Mystic. Being young adults of the 1980s, we immediately recognized that it was the town used during the filming of Mystic Pizza, a movie which greatly helped Julia Roberts’ career.

Our first stop was at the Mystic Seaport.

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<– Day 26 – Wed. May 29th: Exploring Mystic  | Trip Overview | Day 28 – Fri. May 31st: The Breakfast Club and Vintage Wiring –>

Bob, Ann and I at the Nubble Lighthouse near York, Maine.

Thursday’s drive from Warwick, Rhode Island, to Portland, Maine.

On Thursday spent some time in Rhode Island, then headed to Maine.

Downtown Providence, RI

We started in Providence, Rhode Island, walking the Green Mile. Actually, it was more like two and a half miles. The Green Mile is a downtown loop marked by a green line called the Independence Trail that weaves visitors through the cities history as they stroll through the buildings.

Every so often a painted marker on the ground appears with a phone number and an extension. You are told to dial the phone number, enter the extension, and (theoretically) a voice describes the significance of the location. However, due to some winter storm damage (not sure how the winter weather caused problems with the phone system . . .) the system needed updating. So, it didn’t work well for us.

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<– Day 28 – Fri. May 31st: The Breakfast Club and Vintage Wiring  | Trip Overview | Day 30 – Sun. June 2nd: State #49 Was Exciting! –>

Who knew lobsters were such ice cream fans!

Yesterday, Friday May 31st, Ann and I planned to stop by the Acadia National Park Visitors Center before setting up camp for our two night stay in the Park.

Acadia National Park covers about half of Mount Desert Island. As we drove over the bridge and onto the island, I told Ann that I was having difficulty locating the Visitor Center online. But, it wasn’t something I was too worried about, since there are always signs in National Parks to help guide visitors.

However, not this time. In fact, we quickly found ourselves lost. We didn’t know where we were, we lost all cell reception, and our Atlas didn’t help.

We nearly had to resort to asking for directions when a sliver of bandwidth sneaked onto our phone, which allowed us locate the Blackwoods Campground. So, at least we found home. But, where was the visitor center or at least an entrance station? That remained a mystery …

Upon our arrival, we found a sparsely populated campground. We were thankful for that, because the area has more than 300 camping spots! On the downside, there was no cell reception, so my hotspot wouldn’t work to manage eWillys.

Camp setup complete.

As we relaxed at our camp, we met a couple who was camping near us. Jake and his wife (whose name I cannot recall) were from Maine. When I explained what I did and why we were so far from home, Jake told me his Uncle had a couple of old Willys jeeps in Montana that they’d refurbished. Seems there are Willys everywhere I go!

By the time we finished talking, it was dusk. So, we climbed into our tent and quickly fells asleep.

Saturday June 1st:

When I awoke in the morning, I put on my gray hoodie. In the pocket I discovered a present left by my wife. It was wrapped in tissue and was the shape of two AA batteries side-by-side. I thought, “Oh, what could it be?”

It was pretty light, so I figured it was fragile. I carefully unrolled it from the tissue, but still couldn’t determine what it was. So, I attempted to separate the battery-sized objects. That’s when it dawned on me. It was a pair of tampons. So, it wasn’t a gift for me after all . . .

Minutes later, Ann discovered the cooler had been leaking and the back seat area was damp.  So, we threw most of our stuff into our tent and unzipped all the windows. Thank goodness the weather would be warm and sunny (We’ll be buying a new cooler very soon).

Soon after breakfast, we hit the road for an early morning visit to Bar Harbor.

Here we are at a downtown park.

This was taken near the harbor. We enjoyed the seaside town and it’s relaxed flavor.

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<– Day 27 – Thur. May 30th: A Submarine, A Lighthouse, and Lobsters | Trip Overview | Day 29 – Sat. June 1st: Acadia National Park –>

Glenn driving his DJ-3A with Ann riding shotgun.

On Friday May 31st Ann and I would drive to Smithfield, Maine, then on to Acadia National Park.

On Friday we drove from Portland, Maine, to Acadia National Park via Smithfield.

We arrived at Glenn Byron’s house to find Smithfield’s ‘Breakfast Club’ waiting for us. They are a group of vintage car lovers from Maine who join each other for breakfast once a week.

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