One of the big advantages to pulling and Aliner around, of course, is that you can stop and camp almost anywhere.  Heading up through the Adirondacks to the Burlington Aliner rally we took a scenic route that seemed to take more time than I thought it should.  So when we got into and area of good cell phone service I looked on the Passport America app and found a campground convenient to stay at.  While Passport America advertises that their members get a 50% discount on normal camping fees, in reality it usually only applies during the week, not on weekends.  But since it was Wednesday, we were in luck and got a full hookup campsite at a good campground for just $15.  My brand-new Passport America renewal had already paid for half of its fee.  And I really like the directory of campgrounds.  The app shows a map and it’s very easy to pick a campground close to where you’re going or where you are.  When I went to Florida a few years ago with the Aliner I found a fully equipped RV resort in the directory that was just a few miles from where I was going to be spending most of the time.  It had a pool and hot tub, a lake with free boats and canoes and paddle boats, a big clubhouse/game room with all sorts of games like pool tables and ping-pong and pinball machines.  And of course it had all the usual amenities of washers and dryers, showers and bathrooms, and all that stuff.  The normal cost for all the big rigs that were there was $48.  And I paid $17 per day as a “pop-up” for five days. I think because they didn’t think  I had air conditioning, which would have raised the rate $3.  Thank goodness I  did as it was over 90° all four days I was there.  But I digress.

So as a general review of the Magic Pines campground that we stayed at on the way to Burlington, I give it a pretty solid four stars.  The bathrooms were clean, the showers were very nice, and there was hot water at the sinks.  The one downside to Magic Ponds that reduces from being 5 stars is that it’s old and rustic.  But, most  Adirondack private camps are either so expensive, $50-$60 a night, or so run down,  that it’s great to find one that’s actually what you might expect from a mom-and-pop campground.  No it’s not as clean and groomed as a state parks campgrounds in the Adirondacks.  But state parks in the Adirondacks have no hookups in they’re $20 a night plus a reservation fee.  And that’s for residents of New York.  Non-residence pay another $5.  So this was a pretty nice campground and I would highly recommend it as a future Aliner Rally point for future rallies.  It also has a very nice indoor clubhouse with a stage that could be used for dinners and presentations or question-and-answer sessions.  I probably won’t go back to Magic Pines this year, but I hope to go back again sometime and find the two owners still there in charge.  I often get a little choked up when I meet people like these two,  who have relocated from Newfoundland to run this business for the last 25 years, and now as they get older it gets harder and they’re a little stubborn to give it up.

Another thing about Magic Pines that could be a positive or could be a negative is that there is nothing around them for 10 or 15 miles.  But if you’ve been in the Adirondacks before you probably understand that to do anything you have to travel a distance to get there.  Within an easy 30 minute drive there are two fire towers to climb after a half day hike.  There is the ferry to Vermont and Burlington with all its shopping and everything.  Actually there are two ferries to Vermont within 12 or 15 miles.  The one at Essex New York  crosses over to Charlotte, VT and is just $10.25 for a car and driver. Another $4.25 for each passenger.  And only $5.25 for a bicycle and rider.  It was $27.75 for my exploder and Aliner. This particular ferry only takes 30 minutes to cross the lake including loading and unloading.  Just a little farther north is the Port Kent to Burlington ferry, which docs in downtown Burlington, VT.  It takes a full hour to cross, but there is a small snack bar and an inside lounge in case of bad weather.  This ferry for a car and driver under 19 feet is $30 one way, and $54 with the Aliner.  The best way to enjoy the Port Kent to Burlington ferry is to park at the ferry dock and take your bike across and just pay the $9 one way fee.  Of course you will have to pay another $9 to get back, but its still cheaper than driving your car. There are discounts for seniors over 65 but you really need to check out the rates on the web under the Lake Champlain ferries.

The other thing that was next to Magic Pines that I wished I had gotten some pictures of was there is a large gravel pit or stone quarry is the proper term.  And when we awoke at 7 o’clock and got showered and dressed and breakfast and were ready to leave around 9 AM, I heard a very muffled bang.  And it took me a while of processing the noise to figure out that it was probably the quarry blasting one wall of rock.  It would’ve been really cool to see that and get it on video.  Maybe another time, keep subscribing to my channel.  🙂