The article states yes, it’s a great time to buy an RV. It’s a buyers market! You can get a great deal on a new or used RV. The inventory is plentiful and the dealers need sales, but be smart!

My advise is you must be honest with yourself and your financial situation before jumping into a large purchase like this!

What if you or your spouse loses employment, will you still be able to keep up with the loan payments? Consider purchasing a smaller used popup or RV for cash, instead of financing a loan for a larger newer RV. Weigh your options. Do not rush into anything without carefully thinking it through. Don’t be talked into purchasing more than you can comfortably afford. Just because something sounds like a “once in a lifetime” deal, doesn’t mean you should take it, especially if you can’t afford it!

Be careful and be smart! Use your common sense, and don’t rush…..Happy Camping!

campnmomof4 was gracious enough to allow me to post her review on our site:

This is a small and elegant restaurant and everyone was very nice. We parked on the side of the road, there were signs that said 2 hour parking. Where we were seated, was a coat rack next to me and it had some fancy hats and boas on it. They allow the little girls to put them on and take pictures. I of course ran out of the house and forgot the camera, but did take some pictures on my husbands cell phone.

My daughter and I both had a side Traditional Caesar Salad- Romaine Hearts, Croutons, Parmesan Cheese, Tossed with Caesar Dressing, 1/2 Roast Turkey with Stuffing, Cranberry Sauce, and Mayonnaise on whatever kind of bread you wanted. For Desert my daughter got the Raspberry Ice Cream Truffle (Vanilla Ice Cream with a Raspberry Sorbet Center, Covered with White Milk Chocolate and Drizzled with Raspberry Sauce), I had the Tartufo Ice Cream Truffle (Vanilla & Chocolate Ice Cream with Almonds and Cherries, Covered with Bittersweet Chocolate). And of course Tea, they have tons of Teas to choose from.

Everything was very delicious. I would definitely recommend this restaurant, but make sure you call and make a reservation to make sure that you get in. While we were there 3 women had come in together, but couldn’t stay because Crumpets were full. They had 4 tables for 2 people, 2 tables for 4 people and 1 table for 6 people, so they can only fit a total of 22 people. Their website is, www.crumpetstearoom.com

Photos can be found on the original forum topic.

It sounds delicious. I am craving that salad right now! Thanks for the review campnmomof4!

Polly’s Pancake Parlor in Sugar Hill, NH
Open daily 7am - 3pm

You might have to wait up to 45 minutes (or more) for a table, but it is certainly worth the wait for those pancakes!

Polly’s Pancake Parlor offers a variety of pancake (and waffle) batter and fillings. For approx $8, you can get a “sampler” of 3 different style of 6 (3 in) pancakes.

For around $11, you can order the “sampler” combo, which includes the pancake sampler plus an order of meat (bacon, sausage, or ham) w/ a drink.

We both opted for the combo; I chose cornmeal blueberry, plain chocolate chip, and plain coconut w/ bacon and hot tea.  Mike chose plain blueberry and plain chocolate chip w/ bacon and coffee.

The cool thing about Polly’s is your server also makes your pancakes. I don’t know how they do it, but somehow they coordinate it so they can wait tables, plus head on over to the pancake grill, and whip up a batch of pancakes. It was great because they bring over 3 pancakes at a time, so the others don’t sit around getting cold, and then when you are ready the second 3 arrive.

By the time my 2nd three pancakes arrived, I was already pretty full, so I asked for a take out container right away. When I originally wrote this review (on my laptop), I was eating my left over 2 pancakes, and they were just as delicious warmed up in the microwave a day later!

My favorite was definitely the coconut filling. yum, I wish I got more coconut and skipped the blueberry. Not that the blueberry was not delicious (it actually tasted good w/ the cornmeal) the coconut was just so different. I also really liked the chocolate chip. Mike was happy w/ his blueberry and chocolate chip pancakes too.

Oh and the bacon…don’t let me forget about the bacon. This was probably the best bacon I have ever had…well definitely top 5. Tasted like it was right from the slab, not like the packaged stuff at the grocery. This was heavenly!

The only complaint I have is my tea arrived in a extremely hot-to-the-touch tea pot, but strangely the tea water inside wasn’t boiling hot, so my tea bag didn’t steep very well.

Some of the tables at Polly’s are “shared” so you might end up sitting close to another party. The tables are “pushed” together to make more room. The woman next to me ordered a fruit bowl, and it looked absolutely scrumptious. Loaded w/ strawberries, blueberries, and bananas.

This year (2008) Polly’s celebrates their 70th year. And the restaurant showcases various historical photos and items from the past. While you are waiting for a table, take a look at the glass case (behind the seating bench) and take a peek at the big paper chronicling their timeline. For example, Polly’s decided to go “non-smoking” in 1987 (if I remember correctly). You can also visit their gift shop located next door.

So, if you are driving through the Franconia, NH area, (before they close at 3pm) and are in the mood for delicious unique pancakes and waffles, then head over to Sugar Hill and Polly’s Pancake Parlor. You won’t regret it.

When we were leaving the Franconia area, and I tried to convince Mike to let me order a take out batch of pancakes so I can microwave them again the next morning! No such luck. But we will be back in the area in October, so hmm, we might have to make another trip to Polly’s.

http://www.pollyspancakeparlor.com/

Scorpio’s Pizza & Sports Pub is located in Lancaster, NH. They offer a full menu of pizza, pasta, seafood, burgers, subs, Mexican, and calzones. We arrived on a Wednesday night at 7:45pm and couldn’t believe how busy it was! They do not accept credit cards, so be sure to bring cash.

Mike ordered a Cheeseburger Plate - comes with french fries. Mike graded his meal “B+“

I had the Pasta with Homemade Chunky Sauce (garlic bread too.) I was in love with this dish - my grade is “A”  For only $7, I got a huge bowl of pasta covered with a delicious tomato sauce made “chunky” by pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers, onions, sausage, & tomatoes. I had to take most of it home for later. Oh and a salad was also included with my dinner (all for $7, it was a great deal) and this was one great salad. Peppers, cukes, tomatoes, romaine lettuce (no iceberg lettuce) and onions.

There is a small sit down dining area, with a bar area off to the side. Smoking outside on the patio where there are a few tables for dining as well. Lots of families, and as I said, it was busy on a weekday night at 7pm!

We liked it so much, we went back a second time for Mexican food. Mike ordered the Fajitas and I ordered the Taco plate. The Mexican choices were not the “best” we have ever tasted, but they were still good. The food is fresh, and homemade! And an excellent value for the price.

We recommend Scorpio’s Pizza!

UPDATED 2008-08-20

We were in the Lancaster NH again, and stopped by Scorpio’s Pizza & Sports Pub for dinner. Since we had our dog Mindy with us, we opted for Take-out and ate in the truck. I ordered the Pasta w/ Homemade Chunky Sauce again, and it was just as delicious as I remembered. I loved it. I saved my salad for the next day, and I even had left-over pasta too.

Mike ordered a Chicken Parmesan sub and he enjoyed it as well.

We stopped at Ramunto’s Pizza while taking a day drive into Vermont.

They had an assortment of pizza by the slice, so I ordered a slice of tomato garlic white pizza with an order (6) of their famous garlic knots (soaked in garlic oil). Mike ordered a slice of onion pepper w/ a Sicilian slice of Meat Lovers.

Awesome pizza. We both were stuffed - I couldn’t even finish my garlic knots, and took them home.

Besides any variety of pizza you could want, their menu also includes chicken wings, pasta, salads, calzones & rolls, grilled sandiwiches, hot & cold subs & wraps, onion rings, sweet potato fries, and other appetizers. They also serve beer and wine.

If you are ever in the St Johnsbury, VT area, and in the mood for pizza or pasta, take a quick drive North on Rt 5 and visit Ramunto’s Brick Oven PIzza.
http://www.ramuntos.com

Looking for a quick take out dinner, we stopped at Yianni’s Pizza. It’s typical “Greek-style” Italian food - yummy. I ordered chicken parmesan dinner & Mike ordered veal parmesan dinner. Both with ziti and salad.

We drove back to the campground, which was about 20 minutes away. Our dinners were still very hot when we arrived which was great but the ziti was a little mushy, but that could have been due to the long drive. There was a lot of cheese and sauce. It was a generous portion, but no leftovers. The garlic bread was average, but again, it probably would have been better had we ate sooner. We were disappointed because they forgot to add salad dressing with the salad;  we didn’t have any dressing in the RV, so we couldn’t eat it until we bought dressing the next day.

Yianni’s House of Pizza offers pizza, along with burgers, pasta, calzones, grilled subs, hot & cold subs, salads, and a variety of appetizers. I think if we were in the area again, we would give them another try.

We stopped by for lunch; it wasn’t crowded when I placed my order, but within a few minutes, there was a line waiting to order.

The man (owner?) in the front was very busy. Taking orders, then running to the back to take subs or pizza out of the oven. There were two other workers in the back. One woman was making pizzas and she didn’t seem to be working very quickly. I don’t know what the other guy was doing, he just seemed to be walking around. They were definitely short of help.

After about 20 minutes, I finally received our order (to go): I ordered a meatball parm sub, and Mike ordered a veal parm sub ( I like to tease him that he is eating poor baby cow, but he doesn’t care ).

I brought the order back to the truck and Mike took a look at his sandwich, the sub roll was quite burned rather than toasted. My sub wasn’t as bad, but still over toasted. Mike’s was rock solid and dry.

He didn’t want to return it, since it would have taken forever to wait for a replacement, and he didn’t want to get his money back, so we ended up driving down Rt 3 (South) to find a quiet spot to eat lunch. By then we were hoping the steam from the hot sandwiches would soften the bread a bit.

We found a spot to stop, and Mike had to break off pieces of the burned bread, and he thought the veal parm part was alright, not the best he has had, but average. I was more pleased w/ my sub - the meatballs were excellent. I think the problem was a lack of help, so things didn’t get prepared as they should have.  Mike probably wouldn’t return, but I might…only if I knew that the subs would be toasted lightly.

So in conclusion, it’s a mixed review. I give a half thumbs up, while Mike gives a thumbs down.

Elvio’s Pizzeria menu offers pizza, salads, homemade soups, calzones, hot & cold subs, and pasta dinners. I think if I were to go back, I might try one of the pasta and meatball dinners.

The Blue Moon is located down the road from Danforth Bay Campground in Freedom, NH. We heard from our inlaws that they enjoyed their pizza when staying at Danforth Bay in July, so we figured we would give them a shot on Sunday

At 6pm, Sunday night (Labor Day weekend), we phoned them from our campsite for an order of two small (2 topping) pizzas. We were told that it would be an hour wait, and that was fine. He did sound a bit frazzled on the phone.

We arrived early at around 6:45.  Others (frustrated) were waiting for their orders. People ended up leaving because they didn’t want to wait any longer.

After seeing that the pizza oven only had two large pizzas inside, at 7:10, we asked if our order was even started. They said no, so we canceled. It was probably for the best. I have to admit, I was pretty grossed out w/ their cleanliness, or lack of it. The owner was working the register, taking money, and he moved over to behind the deli counter to make subs without washing his hands. Not very sanitary.

The wife who was making pizzas was also answering the cordless phone, and when the caller hung up, she threw the phone onto the pile of papers used to wrap subs.

And the bickering between the owner and his wife and other worker was embarrassing. He was very cranky and made it known to everyone in the store.

Would we go back and give them another chance? Not sure, but it definitely wouldn’t be during a busy time, and I would think twice about ordering a sub or any uncooked food.

Note: As a whole, New Hampshire restaurants are horrible for sanitation and cleanliness. Rarely do they wear gloves (except for some “chain” food places like Subway, McDonalds, etc) and they don’t keep money handlers separate from food preparers. It’s something I notice a lot when we are traveling here. I can’t say that this place is any worse or better than another sandwich shop.

We ended up leaving and driving North on Rt 16 to Rosie’s Drive-in. We had enjoyed lunch there earlier this summer, so we figured we would give them a try for dinner. To read our experience, read my updated review of Rosie’s.

He developed a rash on his left forearm. I went online briefly and found a web site that recommended Benedryl extra strength creme (containing Diphenhydramine hydrochloride 2%), so we got a tube of that. It definitely seemed to help a lot with the itch. He also wrapped his arm at night before bed. At that point, I was still unsure of how poison ivy spreads, so we didn’t want to take any chances. Note: about the Benedryl creme, do not take any Benedryl pills at the same time as the creme. There are warnings on the package!

Now, after doing some additional research online, I now know that poison ivy is NOT spread from the rash or from the “weeping” fluid from the rash. But it is very important to wash off all of the original oil from any clothes, shoes, toys, etc. Also, keep in mind, that dogs can carry the oil back to you if they walk through the plants. If you believe your dog has any poison ivy oil on his fur, then he also needs to be washed.

No product will make poison ivy go away; it will take about 2 weeks for it to run its course. The creams and treatments are only used to lesson the itch and pain, but it will not make it go away.

I won’t pretend to be an expert on poison ivy, so I will just list some helpful links that are much more detailed and experienced:

• www.drgreene.com - great site, safe and sound information on poison ivy. There is also one more article I found on his site.
• Poisonivy.us - lots of advice from real people, and what worked for them
• What does poison ivy look like?
• Wikipedia - lots of general info plus links at the end of the article.

Hopefully you will not need to use these links any time soon, but it is important to know ahead of time what to do when you think you or a family member has been exposed to poison ivy.

Do you have any helpful tips for poison ivy? Post a comment here or join in on the discussion on the forum!

Specific Fair Links:

• Deerfield NH Fair dates: Sept 25-28, 2008. This was a fun fair. We went a few years ago. I think I might like to check this one out again this season too. From Massachusetts, it’s less than an hour and half ride, and could be a great day trip!Google Map
• Rochester NH Fair dates: Sept 12-21, 2008. We have never attended this fair, but I think my husband would love it. Looking at their web site, it looks like they have monster truck shows. Could be very fun. Rochester NH is also a fairly quick drive from Massachusetts. Check their web site for discounted tickets to purchase in advance. Google Map
• Sandwich NH Fair dates: Oct 11-13, 2008 (Columbus Weekend) - This is another wonderful fair, with lots of horse shows, I also love the llamas. Google Maps
• Hopkinton NH Fair dates: Aug 28-Sep1, 2008. Sounds like a fun fair, we have never been. It’s close enough for a day trip, so we might check it out! Google Map
• Fryeburg Maine Fair dates: Sep 28-Oct 5, 2008 - Gotta go to this country fair at least once in your life. Google Map
• The Big E dates: Sep 12-28, 2008 - A long standing Massachusetts fair. Many years ago, we camped nearby and spent the day. It’s a huge fair, almost too “commercial” - Google Map
• Topsfied MA Fair dates: Oct 3-13, 2008 - This was my first country fair. My husband Mike took me so many years ago. Funny how I have never been before I met him! I love this fair. Close to home, so we like to go during the week. I love the Flowers building, and the farm animals are awesome. Google Map
• The Oxford Maine Fair dates: Sep 7-13, 2008 - haven’t attended this one yet. Google Map
• Vermont State Fair in Rutland VT. dates: Aug 29-Sept 7, 2008. I had not heard of this fair until this year. Google Map

Other Fair Links:

• Vermont Agricultural Events - a thorough list of Vermont’s Fairs, Festivals & Field Days
• VT Living - another detailed list of Vermont fairs.
• NH Living - a detailed and thorough list of the New Hampshire fairs
• ME Living - detailed list of Maine fairs.