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Old 08-16-2016, 03:08 PM   #1
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Wellesley Island State Park -- Thousand Islands

We just spent two weeks at Wellesley Island State Park -- just this side of the Canadian border and part of the Thousand Islands chain. It was a wonderful vacation.

Our campsite location was ideal. Family and friends came and went -- the first week we had two of three sites on a nice sized cove -- the second week we got the third campsite too as well as a cottage for the non-campers. The campground is huge and the cottage was almost three miles away, but it worked out fine. It was nice to have a place to go for coffee roasting and long showers, although we could have used empty electric sites, and the bathrooms were mostly clean.

This is definitely a place for boaters and swimmers. We rented two kayaks for our entire stay and were able to keep them on the small beach by the campsites. There were other waterfront sites in the park where this was possible as well and at most of of them I think the maximum RV length was 20' (although a 21 could fit) The weather was perfect for us -- hot still days with a breeze coming from the St. Lawrence during the day. Nights were not so breezy -- and we didn't have electric hookups for air conditioning. Even with the maxi fan going full blast it was pretty warm.

One day our friend took us on a cruise on his pontoon boat to Alexandria Bay for lunch. With the right boat you could explore forever. Our son took the grandkids to Boldt Castle on a tour boat that left from the campground.

We were almost completely in the shade which was a challenge for our 95w solar panel. We used electricity sparingly and were 100% charged each day until the last few days when we needed to use the Texas fan for the frig as well as the maxi fan all night. The freezer kept the meat rock hard and the butter and cheeses stayed hard in the frig. I'm pretty sure (we don't have a thermometer) that the frig is not as cool as my frig at home -- meat defrosted more quickly than it would at home -- but it was definitely acceptable.

There is a nice lifeguard beach area that some of our friends used -- fairly large for a NY STate Park -- a nature center with lots of kid activities and an arcade for the rainy days -- our grandkids (and I) enjoyed the Air Hockey. I believe there are hiking trails, but it was too hot to even think about hiking. If the weather had been cooler we would have done more exploring in Alexandria Bay, but no one felt like it in the heat. I know there were concerts and festivals happening.
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Old 08-16-2016, 03:12 PM   #2
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That looks gorgeous!!! Wish I was closer! And thanks for the account on solar, appliances, etc. Glad you had such a wonderful time!
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Old 08-16-2016, 03:46 PM   #3
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My photos actually taken from the back window weren't so great, but this one was taken from the back of the trailer.
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Old 08-16-2016, 03:47 PM   #4
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ooooooh lovely Ruthe
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Old 08-16-2016, 04:34 PM   #5
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The fishermen went out several times and were only successful twice. Our friend David has been coming here since he was a child (he is now retired) and says that the fishing is different from when he was young.
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Old 08-16-2016, 08:34 PM   #6
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Beautiful campsite AND time with family & friends -- doesn't get much better!
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Old 08-16-2016, 09:29 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruthe View Post
It was nice to have a place to go for coffee roasting...

Ruthe,

Are you also a home coffee roaster, or in this case, a campground roaster? That's one thing I have to plan into my camp schedule - stop every so often at a place with electric hookups. Otherwise I run out of coffee.

Ahh, the taste of home roasted coffee!! There is nothing better... Except home roasted coffee when camping. I'll have to find a special place for my trusty Poppery when I finally get my Escape.

Here's my coffee rig:
- Westbend Poppery I
- Beans from SweetMaria.com
- Porlex Mini Grinder
- Adapter so I can grind with my cordless drill
- Aeropress
- Central Market organic heavy cream (the best)

I roast 136 gram batches just into second crack (I roast by ear). Grind beans for one cup at a time (Ok, sometime I cheat sheet grind for two). Brew one cup of coffee at a time (except when I cheat.). Drink it before it can cool. Life is good!

What's your rig?

Rich
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Old 08-16-2016, 10:21 PM   #8
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Sounded like a beautiful vacation!
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Old 08-16-2016, 10:42 PM   #9
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Sounds like a wonderful camping spot!
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Old 08-17-2016, 02:53 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by ReagentGrade View Post
Ruthe,

Are you also a home coffee roaster, or in this case, a campground roaster? That's one thing I have to plan into my camp schedule - stop every so often at a place with electric hookups. Otherwise I run out of coffee.

Ahh, the taste of home roasted coffee!! There is nothing better... Except home roasted coffee when camping. I'll have to find a special place for my trusty Poppery when I finally get my Escape.

Here's my coffee rig:
- Westbend Poppery I
- Beans from SweetMaria.com
- Porlex Mini Grinder
- Adapter so I can grind with my cordless drill
- Aeropress
- Central Market organic heavy cream (the best)

I roast 136 gram batches just into second crack (I roast by ear). Grind beans for one cup at a time (Ok, sometime I cheat sheet grind for two). Brew one cup of coffee at a time (except when I cheat.). Drink it before it can cool. Life is good!

What's your rig?

Rich
Terry is the coffee drinker -- and he makes people try his coffee black before he lets them put cream into it -- usually they add the cream anyway. He was impressed with your setup -- He uses a popcorn popper and also gets beans from Sweet Maria. He grinds the beans just before making the coffee and I guess he does one cup at a time unless he's making for others, in which case he puts them to work since on the road we have a hand grinder.

In the Tetons he put an extension cord into the men's room and set up a table outside for roasting. In Glacier there was an outlet by the store that he was able to use.
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Old 08-17-2016, 09:25 PM   #11
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You can tell Terry for me that if God meant for us to drink coffee black, he wouldn't have invented cream! [emoji3] I know most "serious" coffee snobs believe coffee must be black. I'm not one of those. But I'm serious about home roasting and how much that improves coffee.

I got desperate once when i ran out of beans to roast. I found some "artisan" beans in a grocery store outside the Great Smokey Mountain NP. It was dated and specified the temp it was roasted to. I tried it the next morning and it was great! It was as good as mine. I found the little coffee shop that roasted it, walked in and told the roaster that she had made my day. She was so pleased. Nobody had ever complimented her on her coffee. Artistic Beans in Townsend TN. Townsend is a tiny little place. Highly recommended!

My Porlex is a hand grinder too. It has a pentagonal shaft the handle attaches to. I found a place on the internet that sells adapters that were printed on a 3D printer. This allows me to use my cordless drill. I always have that on my trailer. It's essential when you own a vintage trailer.


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Old 08-18-2016, 06:13 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ReagentGrade View Post
You can tell Terry for me that if God meant for us to drink coffee black, he wouldn't have invented cream! [emoji3] I know most "serious" coffee snobs believe coffee must be black. I'm not one of those. But I'm serious about home roasting and how much that improves coffee.

I got desperate once when i ran out of beans to roast. I found some "artisan" beans in a grocery store outside the Great Smokey Mountain NP. It was dated and specified the temp it was roasted to. I tried it the next morning and it was great! It was as good as mine. I found the little coffee shop that roasted it, walked in and told the roaster that she had made my day. She was so pleased. Nobody had ever complimented her on her coffee. Artistic Beans in Townsend TN. Townsend is a tiny little place. Highly recommended!

My Porlex is a hand grinder too. It has a pentagonal shaft the handle attaches to. I found a place on the internet that sells adapters that were printed on a 3D printer. This allows me to use my cordless drill. I always have that on my trailer. It's essential when you own a vintage trailer.


Rich

1987 Bigfoot 5er (starter wheels)
2017 Escape 5.0 TA (dream wheels: Sept 2017)
Rich, I'll definitely share your thoughts about cream with Terry.
And I'm emailing him the link so he can read all your details about coffee brewing.
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Old 08-18-2016, 07:52 AM   #13
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Originally Posted by ReagentGrade View Post

What's your rig?

Rich
I use a West Bend also. I also use a Camano Island hand grinder, which is not as fast as my Zassenhaus, but is smaller. I don't mind grinding for one person, but it gets old when everyone wants a cup of "Folgers".

I have an Aeropress, but find that it makes too small a cup for me and uses more beans. So I use a 23 oz. Frieling french press. For the last two years I used a Bodum, but after finding the press on the floor of the trailer once, after a particularly rough stretch of road, I decided not to risk the glass (even though it didn't break), and switched to the stainless Frieling. It's great! A nice stiff screen that does a terrific job of filtering.

Beans are either from Sweet Maria's (Rwandan beans have been exceptional for the past several years) or Kona (from my personal supplier, Wayne Whiteside of Captain Cook on the Big Island). I like my coffee very lightly roasted, and seldom go past first crack.
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Old 08-18-2016, 09:20 PM   #14
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Terry, sounds like a great setup! I can't speak to the number of beans consumed by the Aeropress, I only use one scoop of beans per cup.
I normally make mine as a concentrate and add water. Once I've pressed the coffee through the filter there's about half a mug of coffee. I add water to suit. This method allows me to make two cups at a time by doubling the beans and water. I press half into one mug, half into the other and add water to both.

I generally only buy central or south American beans. But not Costa Rican, which is not robust enough for me. Although I roast mine into second crack, my wife likes hers about like yours.

One of the beauties of home roasting is that you can have any coffee roasted anyway you want. With such small batches, it's simple to make batches for each of us. My wife is delighted, especially since she expects, and gets, coffee in bed every morning. (I have to do something to make myself indispensable!)

Here's a photo of my Porlex Mini hand grinder. Very small. I can grind beans for only one or two (max) cups at a time.




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