Gentlemen, Start Your Engines (NH, RED SOX & NASCAR!) **Updated 2/11** COMPLETE About This Page:

[DyanKJ130]

Gentlemen, Start Your Engines (NH, RED SOX & NASCAR!)

Campers:
Jeffrey – DH(42) camping since forever, die-hard NASCAR fan, converted die-hard RED SOX fan (he’s married to me…he doesn’t really have a choice )
Dyan – Me(39) camping since 1999, NASCAR fan, die-hard RED SOX fan (and fan of a particular Reds pitcher)
Kyle – DS(14) camping since 1999, NASCAR fan, die-hard RED SOX fan.

Here we are on our WDW trip last August, but I am sure you won’t recognize Kyle when you see his pictures in subsequent updates. Just wait…you’ll understand!


Dates:
Wednesday, June 27th – Monday, July 2nd 2007

Destination:
Epsom Valley Campground – Site #20 – Epsom, NH
with visits to Fenway Park, NH International Speedway and a Rainforest!


If any of you remember, we had our last camping trip cut short due to a minor problem. We were getting ready for our weekend trip to NH for the September NASCAR race when we had a campfire…with our pop-up trailer. Jeffrey (a firefighter/EMT/emergency dispatcher, mind you) had our pop-up connected to an inappropriate extension cord in the backyard. I had been loading the refrigerator while he was at work and kept getting zapped whenever I opened the door. Now, this had been happening to me over the course of the week, but I was the only one getting zapped (hindsight…this was because I was the only barefooted person going in & out of the trailer). Anyway, I was waiting for him to get out of work & come home with some hamburgers because they didn’t have any at the store that morning. He came home, I got them ready and we went out to put them in the refrigerator & close up the pop-up to get ready to go. Imagine our surprise to find the entire trailer filled with smoke. He’s yelling, “Smoke condition” We jump out of the trailer and run around to where we plug it in. The entire side was torched! The fire was out, the cord completely melted and the side of the trailer black as black could be.

What to do? I turn to my firefighter , who is dialing his cell phone to call….his DAD!! So, I go into the house and call 911. I told the dispatcher we did not need the sirens & all that, just to send a truck because the fire was already out and we just needed to have a report written up. Next thing you know I hear all sorts of sirens, followed by a big bright red engine coming down the road. All the guys jump out and are circling our trailer and then they start shooting the breeze with DH while we wait for the fire inspector. Soon another fire engine shows up. I’m like, “What is going on now?” One of the firefighters laughs and says to me, “We ordered take out right before your call came in. They are coming to get our money so they can pick it up for us.” Oh, brother. Not long after that the fire inspector showed up in his CAR! He deemed it accidental and was on his merry way.

Long story short, we (okay, I) spent the rest of the evening having conversations with the insurance company and made a call to the campground to let them know we weren’t sure what our plan was going to be & that we would keep them updated. In the meantime, Jeffrey & his dad were assessing the damage and it didn’t look so bad once you got beyond the soot. The fire retardant material really stood up to the fire. Jeffrey cleaned it up well enough so we could camp in it for one evening (using an appropriately coded extension cord for the A/C) in order that we could attend the race. Over the course of the winter, the PopTart (I mean, pop-up) was fixed to good-as-new condition. You wouldn’t even know there was a fire. So, we decided a longer camping trip was in order! Phew!

That said, we decided on a 5 night stay at Epsom Valley Campground to make up for some of the time we missed. While Jeffrey has camped at a multitude of places, Kyle & I have only camped here. We the folks that run the place and they are really good to us in return. Campsite #20 has been ‘our site’ since we got the PopTart 2 years ago. Prior to that, we were across the way in our tent at site #1.

On this trip we will be camping, visiting Fenway Park, NH International Speedway and a Rainforest!

Up next: It can’t really be that hot outside!

[LisaJ]

Can't wait for the rest of the story!

One of the NASCAR legends, Junie Dunlavey (#90) is a good friend of our family. He's been an owner for 50 years. Just recently retired. Pretty much every driver has rookied for him.

[iamgrumpy]

Hurry up with more~!

[Colexis Mom]

Great start Too funny about the other truck coming to get their money for their takeout

More please

[chezp]

Great start Dyan - and thank goodness that the trailer wasn't badly damaged. That's a funny story about the guys and their takeout money!

[crystalloubear]

Can't wait for more!

[JaimeandChad]

Hurry back!! Like the story about the guys and their takeout and you DH calling his DAD!!

[DyanKJ130]

Now playing: It can’t really be that hot outside!

Day 1 – Wednesday, June 27, 2007

We knew it was going to be a hot one, as indicated by the weather forecasters and the temperature in our house the night before! 91° We weren’t planning on turning the central air on, but with that temperature in the house, no one was going to sleep. So, being in total oblivion in the house, we really weren’t ready for the 99° heat that greeted us when we ventured outside.

We took our time getting ready in the morning, as we didn’t want to be setting up the PopTart when the sun was high in the sky with those temperatures. Packed our clothes, put the food in the coolers and loaded everything we hadn’t loaded into the Explorer. We hit the road at 1:30pm. Kyle kept himself busy with his mp3 player and DSLite, while Jeffrey and I listened to Chad Perrone & Bronson Arroyo! We also found it ‘entertaining’ to watch the temperature on the digital thermometer. The highest we noticed was 104°!!





We arrived at Epsom Valley Campground in Epsom, NH at 3:40pm. We made pretty good time, especially since we decided to stay on Rte. 95 and not go directly through Boston! We were the only campers in the safari area, but that would change over the course of the weekend as race fans drove in. We set up the PopTart, which took longer than usual in the heat. Once it was ‘popped up’, we hooked up the electricity and turned on the A/C so I could fix everything on the inside. Poor Jeffrey worked mostly outside and was soaked to the bone by the time everything was all set. We sat in the trailer for a while so Jeffrey could cool off. We talked about where we should go to eat. (We usually go out to eat on set-up day and in this heat there was no way either one of us wanted to brave the grill!)

Our campsite (I took these Thursday morning, but thought they would be suitable to post in this update)






Eventually, we got it together. Jeffrey got changed and then he & Kyle made a run to the restroom, while I was doing something outside. I don’t remember what I was doing, but one of the ladies (Jean) who run the campground pulled up in her golf cart. First thing out of her mouth? “No fires this year?” We talked for a minute and then she drove away. Jeffrey & Kyle returned and we were off.

We still didn’t know where we wanted to eat, so we took a drive while listening to the Red Sox. I convinced Jeffrey to take a drive into downtown Concord so I could show him the CCANH, where Bronson played his concert in January. (He still can’t believe I drove all the way up there with Kyle to see it!) Here’s the photo I had made with Bronson after that concert. **Notice the grip he has on my shoulder compared to the grip on Kyle’s** When he saw me he greeted me with a great big, “Hey! Back again, huh?” I wonder if he still has the present I gave him a little later on that night.





After our drive around Concord, we decided to eat at UNO Chicago Grill. We have those at home and we’d eaten at this particular restaurant once before, so UNO it was. Jeffrey & I both had one of their great big burgers! I had mine with no bun & a side of steamed broccoli, while Jeffrey had his with a side of fries. Kyle had the nachos with chili only. I was starved as I had yet to eat all day!Everyone gave their meals a Neither Jeffrey nor Kyle finished their meals, but we didn’t take it to go. The nachos would only have gotten soggy & there wasn’t much left of Jeffrey’s meal worth taking.

Bellies full, we took a walk over to the LL Bean Outlet. They had a lot of great buys in there, but most everything was already monogrammed. I probably could have taken the embroidery out, but there really wasn’t anything calling our names where I would want to do that.

After that quick shopping trip, we were back in the truck on our way to Wal-Mart, while listening to the remainder of the Red Sox game. They were tied in extra innings and my favorite reliever – Okajima- was on the mound. When we pulled into Wal-Mart the game was still on, but we could hear some thunder closing in & the sky looked like it was about to open up so we decided to go in. Thank goodness we did because not 2 minutes after we were in there, we could hear the pounding of the rain on the roof.

We browsed and loaded up the cart. We shopping in tax-free NH! I bought new pairs of Red Sox pajama bottoms for me & Kyle. Jeffrey said he didn’t need another pair. Oh well, more for me! We also picked up some adult beverages for the trip. When we were on the grocery side of the store, I made Jeffrey pose for this picture. There was a time when I wouldn’t even think of asking him to touch something with the #24 on it. I guess he’s softening. Maybe it had something to do with me saying, “Come on…for the trip report”



We collected Kyle from the video game department and I paid for our purchases totaling $147! At least it was tax-free. While we were in line, I noticed a sign that the Jeff Gordon simulator would be set up in the Wal-Mart parking lot on Thursday & Friday from 2-6pm. We made a note of that for the next day.

Purchases in hand, out into the rain we went. It had slowed down and the thunder had passed, so it wasn’t too bad. Kyle called my dad on our way back to the campground to get the Red Sox report. They lost to Seattle 1-2. We made it back to the campground without incident. We were still the only campers in the safari. Since it was still raining & it was still HOT, we decided not to have a campfire and to watch a movie in the PopTart instead. (We don’t have TV reception, but we pack the TV & DVD player for times like these)

While we were getting ready to watch “Shooter” Kyle managed to let out a chili nacho burp nearly in my face that would put Stitch to shame. Blech! We enjoyed the movie and then we went to bed.

**Oh yes, before I forget. I dedicated each day of this trip to a different Red Sox player. I know, I know….NERD!! Today was the only day that I did not wear a Red Sox shirt, that is until bed time. Every night I wore my Red Sox pajama bottoms & Bronson Arroyo Red Sox shirt and slept with my Bronson Arroyo pillow! So, today, even though he’s no longer an official Red Sox, was dedicated to Bronson Arroyo! **


The best thing today was getting away
The worst thing today was the humidity
The funniest thing today was Kyle’s chili nacho burp (that’s according to Kyle)
The weather today was HOT! HOT! HOT!


Up next: The unveiling of Kyle, simulated racing and we have neighbors!!

[crystalloubear]

I sure hope Jeffery washed his hands really good after touching that!!!

Can't wait to hear more!

[DrDolphin]

Originally Posted by crystalloubear

I sure hope Jeffery washed his hands really good after touching that!!!

Can't wait to hear more!

And I was just about to say how GREAT it was that Jeff posed with something that has Jeff's number on it!!! Thank him for me!

[Colexis Mom]

Great update Dyan More please

[fairieTink]

I can't wait to hear about your experiences at the race. I was suppose to go but a work thing came up instead. I only live a few miles from the track...it made me sad to see all the trailers go by and know I wasn't going.
I know you must have had a great time!!! More please!

[chezp]

Great update Dyan - more please!

[JaimeandChad]

Hurry back with more!!!

[RobDVC]

So... Did you pick campsite #20 for any special reason, or was it picked for you by the campground?