Category Archives: To New England

New England Foliage Trip, Mirror Lake NY, Lake Placid NY, Lake Champlain, Vermont

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                       The Festive Entrance                     Inside view

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The Gift Shop & Cafe is Warm and Cozy

Yesterday (10/7/15) we visited Fort Ticonderoga.  We did not post photos of the fort or views of Lake Champlain in yesterday’s blog, so….    here is a sense of what it is like to visit the fort.

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Canon, lots of canon

All but two of the canon at the fort were brought from the Caribbean in the 1950s.  One of Pell’s relatives went to the islands and purchased old French and Spanish canon for the fort.  He and the canon were captured by Honduran Thugs and held for ransom.  The ransom was negotiated and paid and he was released along with the canon.

The Pell family owns the land around the fort, the fort, and King’s Gardens.  This is the same Pell who instituted the Pell Grants for education.

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One Very knowledgeable Docent               A French Cannon

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The Fort’s Battlements

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Walking the Ramparts                  French Canon Close Up

We knew it would be a cold morning, but come on: 32 degrees?  That’s cold.  Later talking with the owners of Cascade Acres Mobile Home Park and Campground we learned that it had snowed a foot and a half this time two years ago!  “Be Prepared?”  NOT.

Cascade Acres Mobile Home Park and Campground, Lake Placid

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At the Cascade Acres Campground

First I must say I was glad they were there.  We had no desire to push on to a KOA that was pretty far from the town of Lake Placid.  Had we gone to the KOA, we would never have walked through main street Lake Placid or seen the beauty of Mirror Lake.  The owners of Brookwood RV Campsite, Ticonderoga said some of the best BBQ is at Smoke Signals on main street Lake Placid.  We would have missed this place if we pushed on to the KOA.  We still missed it, but for different reasons.

A word about Cascade Acres.  Off season the RV campground is EMPTY.  Park where you want, no problem.  Well sorry, there is one little bitty problem.  They do not have your typical 30 AMP hookup.  50 amps?  Forgetaboutit.  What they do have is a pair of 15 Amp 110 V circuits to each campsite. Technically that is 30 AMPs but good luck connecting.  At a local hardware store the next day we bought an “in case” 110 to 30amp connector so we could connect to a 110 V circuit and carefully run some “stuff”.  Overnight at Cascade Acres I chose to use batteries and our generator.   Also the men’s/woman’s showers and toilets are not heated. That would be no problem “on season”, but a real drag mid-October.

All in all, camping at Cascade Acres was an “adventure”.  On the bright side, it was so close to the town of Lake Placid that all the negatives were a non-issue.  Walk main street and Mirror Lake in the fall and you’ll see why.

The owners were good to talk to.  They recommended taking the Cumberland Head Ferry from Plattsburgh NY to Vermont and described the route and said it would be about $20.00.  They were correct on all counts.

Mirror Lake, Lake Placid

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The main town of Lake Placid sits on Mirror Lake, not on Lake Placid.  It is a charming ski town and a tourist get-away the other three months.  We walked the town, keeping on the sunny side of the street which was a good 15 degrees warmer.

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Smoke Signals opens at 4PM.  With some difficulty and longing, we agreed that staying at this lake until 4PM could jeopardize catching the ferry to Vermont.

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Lake Placid

We chose to drive to Lake Placid, the lake, after walking the town on Mirror Lake.  There’s a road around Mirror Lake, but there is no direct way to get to Lake Placid from the town.  After trying to find an “easy” way to get there, we both agreed that it would “cost” us at least an hour or two if we’d continued on.  We chose to skip the lake and head on to Lake Champlain and the Cumberland Head Ferry to Vermont.   We were told that Lake Placid was at peak color.  What we were seeing at Mirror Lake was near peak color.  The temptation was high, but we thought by moving on to Vermont we’d have better opportunities.  Then we have been in New York for at least eight days.  It was time to move on and Burlington would be our next stop.   There’s the Burlington Coat Factory and Bernie S. had his political start in Burlington Vermont.

High Falls Gorge, The Adirondacks, Wilmington NY

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I drove past a sign for “High Falls Gorge” and noticed a waterfall to my left.  “Should we go back?”  Yes! We found a good place to turn around a quarter mile down the road and we retraced our path back to High Falls Gorge.    This is a privately owned and operated developed park with a cafe, a souvenir shop, and a wooden walkway with stairs, banisters, plexiglass underfoot viewing platforms, and guard rails and fencing.  It is a bit pricey at $11.50 each.  A group of seven people were justifying not not going at that price. We did pay and were glad we had.

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The day was brisk but sunny and the walk through the pines was invigorating; breathing in the pine, feeling the mist from the water falls, walking the maze of stairs, and incredible scenery were well worth the price.

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Cumberland Head Ferry to Vermont

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For someone taking the ferry for the first time be warned, our GPS had no idea where to catch the ferry and the signs for the ferry are spaced very far apart.  If we had not stopped a postal delivery guy, we might still be hunting for the ferry.  Worse still, when we realized we were “lost”, we stopped to dial in the ferry location on our iPhones, we both had “server unavailable” popups on our phones.  We were SOL until the postal guy “saved” us.

The ferry is well outside of the town of Plattsburgh, here.

Our GPS showed a 3:34 Pm arrival at the ferry.  We actually found the ferry at 3:56 for the 4:08 ferry.  Great, we paid the $19.75 for driver, 24′ RV, and 1 passenger and queued up in line #2 behind a sprinter van and beside two 18 wheelers.  The trucks went on, the cars went on, our line started forward and the sprinter van ahead of us was waved through.  We sat and watched the last few cars waved on from lane 1, the gates close, and the ferry pull away from the dock.  Crap.

But, the advantage?  We were first on the next ferry that arrived a mere 13 minutes later! No sweat.  Three ferries ply this route.  We were the first vehicle on the ferry and had a great front row view as the ferry steamed across the lake.   It felt more than a bit like I was driving Li’l Beast across the lake.  All I needed do is turn the steering wheel and we’d turn.  No, but it felt like that.  It was very cool being the first off the ferry too.

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The ferry terminates on an island.  We drove the island to the causeway connecting it to mainland Vermont.  There’s a view point on the causeway and we had to stop.  The views are stunning.

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               Memorial Stone honoring those that lost their lives during 9 -11

 

North Beach Campground, Burlington Vermont

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Sunset at Apple Tree Bay, Vermont

Ellen found three campgrounds past the bridge from Grand Isle; Lone Pines Campground, three stars,  Malletts Bay Campground, three star; and North Beach Campground, also three star.  We talked over the advantages of each.  North Beach was closer to the water and further on than the other two and therefore a better choice.  We could arrive well ahead of sunset, settle in, and be close to the water.  North Beach is a bit of a drive from Rt 84 through Winooski, past a huge graveyard, through a college campus, around some side streets, and down a dead end road to an entry with an 11 foot lintel welcoming RVs into the campground.  We stopped well ahead of the lintel, we are 3 inches too high to make it through.

We were third in line, busy at this time of year maybe due to college and Columbus Day holiday? We wanted an open view to the south and internet access and were told which might work for us.  We were free to drive around and pick a site.  Just come back and do the paperwork.  We chose #105 thinking it had an OK view to the south.  We have good web access, but poor sat reception.  We do get good off air HD.

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Postcard Perfect

As the sun set, we hooked up, closed up, and walked down to Apple Tree Bay to watch the sun set.  The view over the bay looking toward New York is not to be missed if you are in the area.  There were sail boats off toward Burlington, a large gaff rigged schooner sailing south on Lake Champlain.  The sun had not set, but it was below the ridge to our west.  The mountain ridges in New York were different shades of gray-blue as they receded into the distance.  Lake Champlain is a huge lake.

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Sunset Light is Constantly Changing

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We are now comfortably ensconced in The Beast, snug and warm.

Pratt and Chattenango Falls Syracuse and Lake George

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Here are a few photos we took visiting with Paul, Carol, Dylan, Heidi, and Jameson.

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Paul and Ron                                                 Carol and Dylan

 

 

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Chittenango Falls

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At Pratt Falls: Paul, Dylan, & Ron ( pratfall coined here?)

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Near Pratt Falls

Here are a few representative photos of our drive around the lake.  Ellen took these.  She is enjoying her Sony A6000 camera enormously.

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Paddle Wheeler Lake George

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The Mohican Mast Head

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Sacagawea??

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The Horicon had Sailed

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Lake George, NY

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Town Park and Waterfall, Ticonderoga NY

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Early Fall Foliage, Ticonderoga NY

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Lake George Town

Tivoli, Rhinebeck, Lake George

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   Tivoli, New  York

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The Beast, Tivoli New York

Tivoli is a small community on the Hudson River north of Rhinebeck.  Unlike many California, houses and house lots are large here.  It is not unusual to have a large house sitting on fifteen acres of land in a bucolic setting.  In the fall this part of New York is so appealing, it is difficult not to imagine settling here.  Then thoughts of winter snows, cold winds, and cabin fever banish the thought.  This would be an ideal setting for a three season “get away” home, as many New York City folks do.  Some preferred destinations are sleepy towns such as Tivoli, Hudson  Rhinecliff, and better known,  Rhinebeck with its storied past. Lots of history here along the Hudson River.  Amtrak and Metro North stations make it an easier commute to and from NYC.

We arrived at David and Christine’s home early Friday evening, October 2nd.  We did not want to be late.  We piled into David’s Prius and drove to Pine Plains, NY for DeDe’s early Thanksgiving Dinner for family.   Ellen and I only learned about the dinner a week before prior and made it a point to get to David & Chris’ house in time to make this event.  We had considered driving “the Beast” up the road and driveway to the house, but Ellen remembered that it was narrow, with some tight turns, and overhead branches.  Not wanting to arrive empty -handed, we took two Napa Valley wines along.

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David’s Barn needs some work

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Their back yard

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Canoeing anyone?

Pine Plains, New York

The house is spectacular, with one wall of floor to ceiling glass windows, a large fireplace, and a gourmet kitchen with a massive island.  DeDe’s dinner was also spectacular with a roast turkey, ham, and literally all the fixin’s.

Jessie, DeDe’s daughter,  had no idea Ellen and I might be there. When she arrived, she saw me and said, “That looks like Ron”, but she was not sure.  Don said, “there’s a surprise for you in the back room”, and Jessie hurried back to find that her surprise was Ellen.  Moments later she came up to me with a big hug and “I thought that was you”.  It was fun chatting with Jessie and Ryan about Hilton Head, fishing, and Ryan’s long term plans.

We all had a riotously good time.  Enjoying the feast were: DeDe and Don,  Jessie and Ryan, David and Christine, Rich and Cindy, Vinny and Shannon, Erica and Danny and the two of us, Ellen and Ron.  Don’s daughter dropped in for a while, too.

Tivoli

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The House that David and Christine “Built”

We slept very well in “the Beast” that night.  The next morning we awoke very late, at 10:30. I had my first tour of David and Chris’ “new” home.  Fourteen years ago they bought a wreck of a fixer-upper in Tivoli.  It was once a magnificent old home fronted by a porch with columns, ornate plaster ceiling medallions, high twelve foot walls, large windows, and fireplaces.  When they bought the house, it’s bones were good, but the house was a mess.  The house is a historic home which means it must be restored to its original condition on the outside.  Inside they can do whatever.  Fourteen years later, bathrooms, the kitchen, the living room, a front room/office, and a downstairs powder room are finished and finished beautifully.  Work on the largest downstairs room (the “dance hall” as I call it) has not been started.  The sill between the two fireplaces in the “dance hall” had rotted out and the outside wall had dropped two inches. David had that wall jacked up and the sill replaced.  There are two large seams running down the side of each fireplace where the wall was moved.  This room will be spectacular when it is finished; the two fireplaces fronted by medallions surrounding the light fixtures in the ceiling and an arch midway down the room will be stunning.  We did not see the upstairs.  We assume there are four bedrooms.

David did most of the work himself.  I think it is safe to say that Christine did much of the design work.  Their accomplishment is miraculous.   David did say he thought it would be a six or seven year project when he started.

Rhinebeck, Wilderstein, Olana

That day, Saturday, David drove us around Rhinebeck and to the Wilderstein Historic Site.  In the afternoon Chris and David took us to Olana NY State Historic Site, where she works.  Olana was Fredric Church’s estate.  Church is an American Landscape painter and a central figure in the Hudson River school of American landscape painters.  A two part art exhibit was in progress which included some of Church’s paintings and contemporary art on display both at Olana house and at Thomas Cole’s site.  Thomas Cole is regarded as the founder of the Hudson River school of American Landscape Painting and was close with Church. Their two homes (mansions) faced each other across the Hudson.  You will find more information about the River Crossings exhibit here.  The restoration society that is restoring Olana to its glory is carefully removing certain trees that have grown to block the views of the Hudson River Valley, one area at a time.  In another few years or a decade, the views from Olana which today are of the Hudson River seen through or between tree tops, will again be awe inspiring as I’d guess Frederic found them these many years past.

Something’s up with the 2nd floor!  In all the homes we visited in and round Rhinebeck, we never saw the 2nd floor.  Chris said that the first floor of the old mansions was for show and that the second floor where people actually lived was plain.

We planned to meet DeDe and Dan at Baba Louie’s in Hudson for dinner and arrived “home” with time to spare.  David and Chris described some of the work they had done on their house. I’ve done my share of renovating distressed homes (nothing on this scale though) and enjoyed discussing what and how they changed the interior.

Baba Louie’s & Ca’ Mia

When the time came to leave for Baba’s,  David lent us his Prius.  DeDe and Don were already there at the bar when we arrived and we were seated quickly.  We had very thin crust fire roasted pizza, a huge salad, and an IPA (for me) and some very funny and memorable conversation.  Time flew.  About half way through dinner I noticed the line out the door.  Baba Louie’s is a very popular place.   So popular in fact that when we asked for dessert menus we were told that BaBa’s was out of deserts!  They had none.  Our waiter suggested two places that were a good alternative; one I’ve forgotten (flan dessert specialty) , the other had “the best Tiramisu you will ever have”. I love great Tiramisu, but the finger cookies have to be soaked through with “the good stuff”.  Skeptically, we went off in search of Ca’ Mia and desert.

We walked for more than a few blocks and had nearly given up on finding the place when we came to the last storefront on main street.  There it was.  We walked through general seating with each table occupied and found seating at the bar in back; first seating for two (the girls) then for all four of us as the bar thinned out.  Don and I had Tiramisu, the gals shared something that to me was not very special. The Tiramisu was as good as BaBa’s waiter had said it would be, perhaps better.  I was in heaven, though that was tempered by the single birthday candle glowing brightly in the dim lighting of the bar when it was served.   After a rousing chorus of “happy birthday”, I could lose myself in the coffee, rum, ladyfingers, and mascarpone cheese.   We had a very good time that evening too.

J E T S, jets jets jets

The next day was the JETS / Dolphins football game, played in London.   It was not broadcast on DirecTV, but we could pick up local HD broadcast channels and we watched New York take Miami apart in the first half of the game and watched Miami threaten to return the favor in the second half.  It was a good game.  Better still, the JETS won, Ellen was happy, and thus I was happy.  I had to run the generator to recharge the Beast’s batteries during half time and again after the game.  I’m coming to grips with the Beast’s strengths and limitations.  We lazed about after the game, took showers in the Beast, and headed off to meet a group of Ellen’s long time Rhinebeck friends for afternoon drinks. Dennis and Leslie McGuire, Brian and Gwenie McGuire, Glenn and Diana Hobson, and Donna Mahoney who had to leave early.  I had met Brian, Gwenie, Glenn, and Diana the last time I’d visited Rhinebeck, with Ellen.  It took some rehashing old times to conclude that it was 2002 when last I’d visited.  Dennis and I had a spirited back and forth (ball-busting both ways) once I “confessed” that I support Obama.  It was all in good fun, I think so at least!  The conversation turned on many topics, skirting politics most times.  Diana set out a choice selection of chips, dip, fruit, pretzels, and hummus.  Wine flowed freely; the bottle we brought came and went along with a few others.  This was Too Much Fun.  After dusk, Ellen mentioned the pick-up truck we admired when we arrived.  It’s one that Glenn restored from a rusted hulk.  I don’t remember the year but I’m thinking it was a late 50’s Chevy.   He had another rust bucket in another garage bay that he’s not started on.  It was a 30’s something-or-other pick-up truck.  I’ll post Ellen’s photos once they’re off her camera.

Santa Fe Restaurant, Tivoli

That evening we took David, Chris, and their daughter, Erica, out to dinner at Santa Fe, one of David’s favorite restaurant. Their son Danny had to work. Portions were large, Margaritas were served by the pitcher, and the chips and salsa kept coming.  Again we had a great time.

The next morning David, Chris, and Erica all went off to work early.  We dawdled around some then drove to Rhinebeck, and some of Ellen’s old haunts.  She enjoys finding places she lived and noticing what has changed.  She had hoped to chat with Bryn and Wes who own two restaurants in town, “the local” and “the Shelter”.  Unfortunately, we didn’t connect with Bryn.  We did have coffee at “Bread Alone Bakery and Cafe”, lunch at “Terrapin”, and looked to restock our wine supply.

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Oliver Kita Chocolates Rhinebeck

Oh yes, we stopped at one of the chocolate sweet shops for a taste of Dark Chocolate and Ancho Chili bonbons.  Don’t let the nasty spiders out front fool you, these chocolates are really good; we still have some in the ‘fridge.  Check them out here.

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Oliver Kita Chocolate Shop

Moose Hillock Camping Resort & Lake George

About mid-afternoon we set off on our “leaf peeper” expedition and headed north into the Adirondacks.  We noticed Lake George and Ticonderoga as we headed north and chose to stop nearby and explore them tomorrow.  Ellen found a few possible campsites and we settled on Moose Hillock Camping Resort near the lake.  We arrived late.  The office was closed, but the store was open and we registered there around 7:30 pm.  The gal checked us in while the guy answered our questions.  The campground has over 250 campsites, most are empty now.  Next weekend (Columbus holiday) they will be full and they’ll close the following week.  The swimming pool is closed.  The showers take quarters that are good for fifteen minutes (we’ll see about that).  I think we’ll find many campgrounds that are closing for the winter as we move through Vermont and New Hampshire.  We’re not sure we’ll get north into Maine, though I would like to visit Moosehead Lake.

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Moose Hillock has big campsites

We’ve eaten, we have a full tank of propane, and a full hookup.  We’ve had memorable visits with Rich, Jean, Shadrach, and friends in Colorado; Carol, Paul, Dylan, Heidi & Jameson in Syracuse;  David, Chris, Erica, Danny, DeDe, and Don, Jessie and the whole family in Hudson and Pine Plains; and we met with good friends in Rhinebeck.  We’ve had a rollicking good time!

What more could we ask for?

 

 

At Syracuse NY

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Visiting Family

We’re staying with Paul, Carolann, and Dylan here in Syracuse NY,  Carolann is Ellen’s sister.  We’ve had wide ranging conversations about politics, family, music, and local issues that’s been fun for all.  The driving through Pennsylvania and into New York, the weather turned overcast and rain has fallen off and on since we arrived and is expected to continue for the next few days.  There has been extensive flooding along the East Coast of the Carolinas and Maryland and with Tropical Storm (hurricane?) Joaquin on the way we could see more extensive rain.

We’re planning to push on to visit DeDe and Don in Pine Plains, but some of the roads into the woods are dirt and prone to flooding.  We’ll drive to Tivoli, drop off Li’l Beast, and ride to Pine Plains with David and Chris.

Paul said last night that it had been unusually dry the past few months.  This rain is the first they’ve had in quite a while and that the dryness influences the fall foliage.  The leaves turn “all at once” and fall from the trees!   I did notice just this happening in Pennsylvania and parts of New York where some trees had turned and dropped most of their leaves.  They were not maples though.

Empire Brewing Company

We went to the Empire Brewing Company for dinner last night.  The brewery was originally a Cajun and Creole restaurant. The brewery’s menu retained the Cajun and Creole flair.  Ellen had the lobster bisque and a fabulous three meat chili of Elk, Angus, and Kobe.  Paul and Carolann shared a cajun dish of jambolaya and gumbo.  Their IPA was goooood.

I was born and raised near Boston, Mass.  As a child and young teenager my family would take weekend trips to Vermont and New Hampshire and visit their natural wonders.  I remember  more of New Hampshire, probably because we spent more time there.  It will be fun for me to revisit some of the outstanding places I remember and discover some new ones along the way.

Vermont

I recall being “out in the boonies” on our trips to Vermont.  Forty years ago, Vermont was sparsely populated, rugged, and beautiful in an undeveloped sort of way.  My guess is it has changed over the years.  Some of the resources I’ll be using to plan our trip through Vermont are:

State Parks
top ten things to do in Vermont

New Hampshire

Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire, closed Sept 19th.   Luckily the Flume and Canon Mountain Tramway are open through Oct 25th and Oct 18th respectively.  The White Mountain Cog Railway stays open through October.

Check these links for more information:

New Hampshire Parks
White Mountain Cog Railway

New England

Visit New England
foliage Map

 

Just a short post to catch up.

Ron

Cinderella, Niagara Falls, Walk to Canada, Syracuse NY

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Niagara Falls

Cinderella Motel and Campsites

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Cinderella, Beast Style

 

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Cinderella Campsite Common Area

We awoke early, planning to run up to Niagara Falls and beat the crowds.  My watch showed 10:30 local time.  We were anything but early.  I walked the campground and took a few photos while Ellen setup to leave.  The campground is visually appealing with stands of trees, an open-sided meeting building centrally located, and showers and laundry.

Sewer Trouble

We took the slide-out in and were ready to go.  Checking tank levels, it made sense to drain the swamp before we left.  I moved the Beast closer to the drain and hooked it all up.  After watching this video, Comparing Tank Flushers in the Clear RV Black Tank, I chose use a clear elbow with a flush connection and a valve ( like this ) attached to the hose running into the drain for our RV setup.  The idea being to open the clean-out valve, drain the black, close the clean-out valve and back fill the tank, open the clean-out valve to flush the tank and repeat until the tank runs clear. Then I’d do the same for the gray tank.  Easy!

With the black tank valve open, the hose filled up and refused to drain!  Great, the campsite drain was plugged up and would not drain.  Now  I’ve got a 3 inch tube full of poo.  I thought for a while and realized I could pressurize the hose and perhaps force the obstructed drain clear.  To do this I closed off the black valve and turned on the water  which pressurized the hose.  This inflated the hose, showed a number of pin-hole leaks which were now small geysers, and forced fluid out around the drain fittings.   FAIL.  I opened the black tank valve to relieve pressure, then closed it and closed the flush valve.  Now I could disconnect at the RV without the entire hose emptying out.  I moved the hose away from “everything” and emptied the hose.  What a mess.  It was 12:30 now and the Cinderella office was closed.   After cleaning up as best I could, we headed off to Niagara Falls.

<<<<<  No Photos of this Disaster >>>>>

Walking to Canada

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Shots from the Rainbow Bridge Walking into Canada

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The American Falls from Rainbow Bridge

We drove into the same lot we had parked the evening before.  Took a ticket and looped around to find a double spot.   As I was pulling in, I saw an attendant hurrying toward me waving his arms.  We were told that we could not park there, but if we go out there, take a right, then another right, then the first exit from the rotary down the road, we’ll find parking lot #3, free parking for RVs.  Parking Lot #3 is way out in the boonies.  It is free, but it would be a long walk back to the Rainbow Bridge to cross into Canada.  There is a shuttle that runs throughout the park.  For $2 per person, you can get on and off the Shuttle as many times as you want in a day.  We opted to take the Shuttle and got off at the 2nd stop near the base of the pedestrian bridge.  Proper documentation is necessary to cross into Canada, a driver’s license is insufficient.  We took our passports.

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Maid of the Mist

The view of American Falls from the Rainbow Bridge is breathtaking.

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the American Falls

We passed a number of couples and groups walking back toward the U.S.   Typically Americans commercialize tourist destinations, often to excess.  It has been forty or so years since Ellen or I  last visited the falls.  In that time the American side of the falls has been developed, but not commercialized.  It has a few new buildings in the park: the Aquarium for example.  The Canadian side looks to be a full city.  There are at least two casinos, hotels, restaurants, and an esplanade along the gorge leading toward the falls.  The esplanade has a formal gardens, lawns, and wonderful plantings along its length.  While commercial, the Canadian side shows a sense of pride and retains a quaintness that I had not expected. The American side seemed to have  more park area.

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Gardens and Sky Tower

 

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Horseshoe Falls

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More of Horseshoe Falls

The views of the falls from the Canadian side is not to be missed.  We did not have time to take the “Maid of the Mist” boat tour of the falls from the U.S side or the equivalent Canadian tour, nor did we walk the caves behind the falls.  We would love to come back to do them. We’re now staying with Paul and Carol in Syracuse NY,  Paul said there’s a jet boat you can take on the Canadian side that runs up to the class V or VI rapids way above the falls and that this is no to be missed.  We’ll add that to our list of things to do “next time”.  Paul said to find the jet boat you drive up the Canadian side of the waterway and you can’t miss the signs for the boats.

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Of course we were snapping photos like crazy and standing in awe of the falls when we weren’t.

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Returning, we walked quickly back to the bridge.  We were already late leaving for Syracuse and might miss dinner!  To our surprise, there is a turnstile on the Canadian side.  You must pay 50 cents to exit Canada.  We had twenties.  There were change machines that took Canadian and US one dollar bills, but nothing larger.  We were discussing our options and being disgusted at a out further delay as couples and groups shuffled by and through the turnstiles.  I was just about to go back out to the street to find a place to change a 20 when a very gracious Swedish couple, Anne and Malton, gave us each 50 cents and we were on our way.

We caught the Shuttle.  Unfortunately, it had four stops before getting back to lot #3.  We were running later still.  If we had time we would  have further explored Niagara State Park.

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We have a number of videos that capture the mighty power and awesome (“AFA”, you know who you are!) beauty of the falls, but they are too large to post to the blog (yeah, what’s with that?).  So I’ll move the videos to our photo album in the next few days.

Syracuse

On the drive to Syracuse, we ran into some rain but no construction on 90 east of Niagara.  Our GPS worked beautifully and we arrived at Paul and Carolann’s home almost two hours later than we wanted.   Their son, Dillon, had not yet arrived; we had not missed dinner.

We’ll stay here in Syracuse for a few days visiting with Paul and Carolann, then head off toward Duchess County; Rhinebeck, etc., to meet more of Ellen’s family.

Ron & Ellen  a stone’s throw from fall foliage in the north east.

 

 

Day 10, Wallmart, the JETS, Niagra Falls, Cinderella

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Just as with Woodland Park, today we could slow down and breathe.  We boondocked last night at the Wallmart in Lexington Ohio.   That Wallmart is a guarded 24hr store that does not discourage overnighters.  We replenished our supplies and called it a night.  It had been a 555 mile drive from Missouri.  We were bushed.   Around 3:30 AM some inconsiderate trucker pulled in and fired up his generator.  That’s not cool.   He drove off half an hour later.  Surprisingly Ellen slept through.

The next morning we bought some popcorn from a cub scout family before heading off.  We mentioned we were from California and the woman said incredulously, “WHY?”  She assumed we had moved to Lexington, Ohio.  We had a great conversation.

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The drive from  Lexington Ohio to Syracuse Ny is a relatively short one.  We stopped a few times to pick flowers along the road side.  This brings back strong family memories when I was very young.  The flowers we picked were beautiful.   Erie county is home of vineyards and wineries.

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Lush Trees, Farm Land, and Vineyards dot the landscape in Erie County.

We could have make it a long day, but it’s Sunday and the JETS were playing.  At this point we needed to find a place to stop, watch the game, do laundry, and perhaps take a shower.  The JETS game showed at 10 AM PST, we were in EST a difference of three hours.   We could drive 2-3 hours then watch the game on DirecTv which assumes we’re still in Pacific Time! Ellen found a TA truck stop at Harbor Creek Pennsylvania that had it all plus a truck wash, and was a bit over two hours drive away.  Perfect.

TA Truck Stop, Harbor Creek New York

At that TA station, the laundry was great, we gassed up, filled DEF, and settled in, but the JETS lost.  We packed in the last of the laundry and headed off to New York easily forgetting the debacle we had witnessed.   Passing Buffalo, we both though, “why not stop at Niagara Falls?”  We could catch sunset over the falls.   Again with AllStays, Ellen found two campgrounds on Grand Island.  She called both and we made a reservation at Cinderella Motel and Campsite and we continued on to the falls.

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What Is This?

Niagara Falls

Somehow we drove right into the closest Niagara Falls parking lot and walked to the overlook.

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We hope to ride “Maid of the Mist” tomorrow.  Being off season and in the evening, the falls were not crowded.  The US side of the falls is commercialized, but it is nothing like the Canadian side with two casinos dominating the night-time view.

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We saw sunset from the US side and we’ll see sunrise from the Canadian side tomorrow morning before pushing on.

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We backtracked to our campsite, connected, and found that the trees to the south blocked our DirecTv antenna.  The off-the-air HD antenna worked fine and we’re watching CSI Las Vegas.  Ellen grabbed me to go out and see the eclipse of the Harvest Moon.  I ran back, grabbed my long camera, and took this photo.

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Lazy Day Campground, Missouri then Boondocking

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Li’l Beast at Lazy Day Campground

Photos taken around Lazy Days Campground on a morning walk about.

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Lazy Day Campground was comfortable and we would have stayed a second day if we were not on a mission.

Another long “get there” day.   We were on the road for 9 hours and logged 554 miles.  With Autumn arriving in New England any day now, I graciously agreed to forego Antioch, Yellow Springs, the Glenn, and the Wright Patterson Air Force Museum and “keep on truckin'”.

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Crossing into Illinois

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Picking Flowers in Illinois

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Illinois Farmland

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Crossing into Indiana

We’ve pulled off the road and used the inverter to power our “home” opting not to use the generator.  This meant food served up on the stove and the ‘fridge run on LP.

Wineguard HD Antenna and DirecTv In Operation

The Wineguard HD Antenna has worked flawlessly.  Once powered the DirecTV receiver off before the antenna completed setup and I had to reboot the receiver.  Typically the receiver will be powered on while the antenna sets-up and there will be no problem. I am impressed with the simplicity of operation of the antenna.  It does take some time to latch onto the satellites.  I think it goes back to its last setting on the assumption it has not moved, then when there is no signal in that direction it opens up a full sky search which can take some time and whirring and some clicking coming from the Beast’s roof.  I’ve only once not locked onto the signal for three sats.  We were parked with a big pine tree centered to the south of the antenna.  No signal came through the tree trunk.

Funny how the DirecTv system works.  Here we are in the central time zone and our DirecTv guide shows Pacific Time.  This is not a bad thing.  We have a two hour grace period between local time and DirecTv broadcast time.  If we setup “the Beast” at 8Pm after a long day, the DirecTv Guild shows current time as 6Pm.  We will have three hours difference when we hit the Eastern Time Zone.  For tomorrow’s Jets game, We can drive until noon (1 Pm if we cross into EST) and still record the jets game broadcast at 10 AM PST.  I think this would create issues for folks whose home system was EST and they headed west.   They would have to stop early to record or watch programming.  In the best of all worlds, the Guide would show local time.   I’ll have to call DirecTv and sort this out.

We passed a sign for Yellow Springs and Antioch College shortly after passing Springfield Oh.  It felt like coming home, probably because it was. A sign for Xenia zipped by and another for the Mad River which runs close by Yellow Springs.  It was not easy for me to drive by, but we will have more time to explore on our way back home without an incipient deadline (trees wait for no man  err Trees Wait for NoMads)

We plan to get an early start and log some miles before stopping for the Jets/Eagles game.  Watch out Shawn, the JETS are looking healthy and strong.  Then we’ll find a campsite with a view of the coming eclipse.  We’re a long day’s drive away from Syracuse, NY, our next stopover.

The Worst Road Ever

A word about I-70 Indiana.  I don’t know what’s up with this state but the eastern half of I-70 through Indiana is the worst bumpy pot-holed piece of crap highway I’ve; driven in the past decade.  I-70 in Illinois and in Ohio is great.   There are some long single lane stretches in Illinois, but with light traffic that’s OK.   In Ohio, the road is new and near perfect in most places.

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Crossing into Ohio Today’s Final Destination

 

Kansas into Missouri

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This morning our barometer showed dropping atmospheric pressure and the weather was overcast.   Driving through Kansas you’ll see signs saying for weather alerts dial some AM station or 103.3 FM.    Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz would not exist but for Kansas Tornadoes!   The High Plains Campground rules and regulations also states in case of emergency, evacuate to the men’s or woman’s rooms.  They are safe.

Museums along I-70, Kansas

We left High Plains RV Campground late at 11:30. Li’l Beast took nearly a gallon of DES and we were off.  There are a number of museums that we would normally stop for, but we wanted to roll on toward New England.  We skipped the Prairie Museum of Art and History, Colby; the Fick Fossil and History Museum, Oakley; the Chrysler Boyhood Home and Museum, Ellis; the Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Hays; the Combat Air Museum, Topeka; the Oz Museum, Wamego; and of course Totoz Tacoz, Wamego.  We flew by all these museums in Kansas.  Oddly we found very little of interest as we buzzed through Missouri. We drove past Mill Creek Campground near Paxico Kansas around 3 Pm.  It was far too early to follow Jim’s advice and stop there.  We were on a roll.

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Kansas Scenery

We drove on and started looking for a great place to camp for the night about 2 hours drive further.   Ellen found a number of two star campgrounds  in Independence Mo.  Driving into Independence we realized it was too urban for us and we skipped them and continued on.  Around  sunset we stopped at a rest area to take some photos.

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Sunset Over Missouri

Lazy Day Campground, Danville Missouri

The rest stop was very well developed with a few RVs parked for the evening.   We drove on thinking we’d camp at the next rest stop and just boon-dock for the evening.  Another hour down the road and we found that the rest stop was primitive, uninviting.  Again we drove on. Ellen searched further down I-70  and the next interesting area was Graham Caves State Park.  We could stay at the park, at Kan-Do Campground RV Park, or at Lazy Day Campground.  Both RV parks were near the park. Easiest off and on the highway was Lazy Day.  By now it was 8:30 Pm and we had driven 515 miles.  Ellen called Lazy Day thinking we’d get a voice message with late check-in instructions. Instead KIm, the owner/manager, answered the line and took a reservation for “the Beast”. Amazing at 8:30 PM.

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Ten miles later Kim greeted us in the driveway and directed us to her office.  She arrived moments later, opened the office, and we registered.  We got to chatting.  I gave her my credit card saying, “I’m glad you take credit”  Kim said, “We take everything but American Express”.  Ron,”I’ve never used AMEX since they turned me down for a card after I graduated college”.    Kim tole me that she never uses K-Mart!  In the massive flood of ’93, her house was flooded along with everyone else in the flood plain.  It was a 100 years flood.  Kim lost everything.  With everything gone,  she opened new account at the Bank and received unnumbered temporary checks.  K-mart and an old crowded wall-mart were the only shops in town.  K-mart refused to honor her checks because they were not numbered.  They wouldn’t call the bank to verify funds,  K-mart just would not take her checks.  She was not alone.  Most everyone else could not buy at K-mart for that reason.  Kim now will never buy from them.  Not surprisingly, K-mart is not in business in the area today.

Kim guided us to our site with her golf cart and waited to be sure we were settled in before heading off.   This is amazing customer service.  From answering the phone late in the evening to ensuring we had what we needed, Kim was wonderful.

I had half-jokingly said what I wanted this evening was to settle into a chair watching Bill Maher with a beer.  The longer we drove the less likely that became.  After verifying level, connecting electricity and water, and raising the antenna, I was surprised to see Real Time with Bill Maher starting in a few minutes!  I grabbed a cold one from the ‘fridge.

Today was a marathon drive through Kansas and into Missouri.   With good weather and traffic we may camp near Dayton, Ohio tomorrow.  Dayton has an aviation museum and Antioch College, Yellow Springs is close by.  It will be fun walking the campus and Glenn Helen Nature Preserve with Ellen.

Life is indeed good.

Ron

 

Kansas

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Sundown Woodland Park, Co.

We left Woodland Park late in the morning.  We said our goodbyes to John and Ronna.  Paid for the extra night at the office and chatted with Charles for a while.  Then we went to the over-sized car wash and hosed down Li’l Beast, went to Safeway to replenish our food supply and headed off.

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John and Ronna

In Colorado Springs we stopped at WallyWorld for some missing essentials and forgot to get water and a knee pad.  We did find a Radio Shack that carried an IR repeater.  From Colorado Springs state 24 descends into a series of rolling hills punctuated by cross traffic and stop signs.  After twenty or thirty miles of that, the road became less traveled with fewer stop lights. We discussed heading north to I-80 or staying on I-70.  Our smart phone showed there was no significant difference.  We opted to stay on I-70 going through St Louis and passing near Dayton, Oh and Yellow Springs.  I’m told that Dayton, the home to SAC, has an amazing aviation museum.  More significantly Dayton is close to Yellow Spring home of Antioch College and “The Glenn”.  Without taking too much time, it would be fun to visit old haunts there and see if the doughnut shop is still serving up piping hot treats at 6 Am.

The rolling hills of eastern Colorado gave way to Kansas Flat.  The road rolls on and straight as an arrow. We continued on I-70 which had minimal traffic.  I think I-80 would have been full of trucks. Past Dayton Oh, we expect to peel off north toward Cleveland, go along the US or Canadian side of the Great Lakes, and descend into Syracuse NY.  Tonight we stopped at High Plains RV Resort an independent campground at exit 70 on I-70.  There were two sites available when Ellen called.  We took site #118.  Though the numbers run into the hundreds, there are only about forty sites.  In the time we drove the 4 miles to the campground, the manager had printed out our personalized campground info.  She gave Ellen a $5 coupon for Capt’n Jack’s Pub which abuts the campground and is an easy walk along the grass.  The campground was four star rated and we agree.

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Arrival High Plains RV Campground, Kansas

While setting up we ran into Jim and his wife who own a new thirty four foot Winnebago.  It’s very good looking, though very large.  Ellen explained why we call our RV “Li’l Beast”.  We compared notes on our rigs and diesel mileage.  He gets 9 mpg on a good day.  He did say our Sat Antenna was better than his, “size does matter”.  Jim recommended Capt’n Jack’s Pub for dinner, “You won’t be disappointed”.

Once we were setup, we headed off to the pub. I have no idea what I expected, but this was not it.  The door opened onto a remodeled barn with a long full bar to the right; two big-screen TVs on the far wall showing Thursday Night Football, Bengals vs NY Giants; some booths along the walls and bar tables scattered about.  The cooks and waitresses were gathered at the near end of the bar.  The two booths nearest the TVs were occupied.  As we entered a gal said, “Welcome, sit anywhere you like”.  We noticed the six jolly roger flags hanging from the rafters as we sat down, one stating, ” the beatings will continue until moral improves”. Later the gal came by and took our order: Kobe Beef Hamburgers, a Crab Cake, and “the Calling” IPA.  The menu stated that the Kobe hamburgers would be served medium rare.  If you want your meat well done, then order an Angus beef burger! The menu also offered a third legendary burger; the Elk burger, stating probably one of the tastiest burgers you will ever find.  Right, in Kansas just off the freeway we found Kobe Beef, Elk and Crab Cakes.  Still more startling, they were excellent.

We chatted another waitress who brought our food to table.  She and her husband, who was a coast guard captain off the Virginia coast,  moved to Kansas and opened this restaurant in 2013 after remodeling the old barn. Capt’n Jack actually cooked our burgers.  Our waitress is his wife. They plan to offer Kobe Beef Steaks sometime in the future.

Jim also recommended Mill Creek Campground Paxico Kansas, saying, “it is American Memorabilia.  It will bring you back to the past”.  He also said there are antiques for sale that run from inexpensive trinkets to very expensive pieces upwards of twenty thousand dollars.

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Sunset over Kansas

 

The Golden Loop

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Colorado Aspen Foliage, Near Peak Color

We had to move our rig yesterday morning, a 40′ rig was due in today.  It’s a bit of a hassle disconnecting and reconnecting, but we had no choice.   We found that the sewer line in #14 The Woodland RV Park is UPHILL from the pad.  We chose not to connect the sewer.

We pulled in beside John and Ronna, who we had met at Diamond RV park a few days earlier. They’re visiting their family, children and grandchildren.  John saw me kneeling on the gravel, grabbed a mat and offered it to me.  I don’t know why I didn’t get one earlier.   We’ll visit Home Depot on our way through Colorado Springs.DSC03567

152 Acres for Sale

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Bro’ and Sis

That morning Rich drove us on a loop around the Cripple Creek gold mines.  The open pit mine is huge.  RIch  had worked at the mine for about 20 years and knew all about the  mining process.  He had not been through that area in a while and remarked on how much it had changed.  I’d guess you’d find Rich at his claims or walking local hills prospecting and not driving around the mines.  We drove past 152 acres with two houses on the property that was for sale.

We met with Shelly, Scruff’s widow on our way back “home”.  It was a good if brief visit.  Scuffy is one of Ellen’s brothers who passed away in May 2013.  Vincent Thomas Fretterd was known as Scruff to his friends.

At “home” we ate and vegged out watching Law and Order.  John and Ronna had their family over for dinner.  We thought we’d drop over after the excitement died down.  Around 9:45 we visited with them and had a wide ranging conversation over a few drinks.  We didn’t realize how late it was until we got back home at 1:07 AM.

I’ll go into detail about Victor, Cripple Creek, and some of Rich’s, John’s, and Ronna’s stories later this evening.  We’re setting up to move on out of Woodland Park.

Ron