Around the Shore

Sunset from our RV site

We moved about 150 miles along the shore line to another one of the Greats, this time Lake Erie.  The area is similar  to Wilson but you are in Pennsylvania and on Lake Erie instead of Lake Huron.   We found a RV park not too far from the town of Erie and near the Ohio border.   The RV Park was right on the water but a bit on the run down side filled with seasonal weekenders.  That seems to be the case with most of the RV parks around the Great Lakes and East Coast.  Quiet on the weekdays but a bit of zoo on the weekends.  It advertised as having a beach but that was a stretch. No sand and you shared it with a small boat ramp.    If swimming is what you're after the beaches at Presque Isle State Park in the town of Erie is the way to go.  Our site  was on the water so the view made up for some of the shortcomings. We had a few campfires and watched the beautiful sunsets and moonrises.  We happened to be there for a super full moon, it was spectacular!  A few of the nights some of the fellow campers lit candle powered lanterns over the shores. Must be the new thing to do these days. We saw them few times in our travels  You would burn the whole state down if someone did this in New Mexico! Still it was pretty to watch.

The town of Erie was close by and we spent a few days exploring Presque Isle and the town.  They did a nice job of preserving the history. Captain Oliver Perry wintered in Misery Bay during the War of 1812.  One day we took another drive to the town of North East where a Cherry Festival was going on except it was only open at night during the weekdays. Oh well,  it was a nice drive anyway but I did want some of that cherry pie.   Guess I’ll settle for root beer in a frosted mug.  We found this little gem of place  White Turkey Drive-In just across the border in Ohio.

My son-law’s mom Lori happened to live about two hours away in Ohio.  We met for dinner one night about half way.  We had a nice dinner chatting and comparing notes on JR and Emily.  Oh, I bet their ears were ringing that night!

Lori and me

The weather turned quite blustery and along with the lake being churned up came a mayfly infestation! It was apocalyptic crazy, you could even hear a high pitch sound from them swarming.  Time to hitch up and move on down the road! Hmm, where to next?  The weekend is coming again and we better find an RV park. We decided to move the Huron, PA area.  We found a pretty park on the Huron River but again once that weekend come around  it was nuts!  Spent  a few days in the area exploring, there is the big amusement park Cedar Point nearby which we decided to skip.  Our bones are past the days of enjoying this type of excitement.  Decision time was at hand again.  Do we continue up around the Great Lakes and then head on over to the Chicagoland area to visit family in August?  It was getting harder to find places on the weekends, so we decided to start the long trek home. We figured once we moved away from the water and West that problem would go away.  So home it was!

Presque Isle Beaches

Monument to Captain Perry

Trail on Presque Isle

The Falls

Originally we were thinking of heading to the Adirondacks but the 4^th of July holiday weekend was coming soon. It became apparent that all the RV parks in that area were full.  We opted to go to Niagara Falls.  How is it that I made it this far in life without seeing them? 

We found the small Daisy Barn Campground on the shores of Lake Ontario near Wilson, NY.  The daisies growing around the barn were in full bloom when we arrived.  It also has great views of the Lake Ontario with spectacular sunsets. The skyline of Toronto  was visible on a clear day and silhouetted by an orange sky at sunset.  Rolling hills, fields of grapes, old Victorian houses and sailboats, that describes the area.   The roads were bigger and no carriage dodging either.   Yup, I think this will suit us fine to wait out the holiday weekend.  Did I say wineries?  Plenty of them to visit as well.

Daisy Barn Campground

One of the days we took a drive to the nearby town of Lockport on the Erie Canal.  You can walk along the locks or take tour boat of the locks.  It is an interesting bit of our nation’s earlier industrial days.   Another day we drove down to the nearby town of Newfane and Olcott Beach.  It has a fun little pier with a few shops and a small amusement park that has a carousel and old fashion band organ.    They do have size restrictions and it is strictly for the kiddies but all the rides are 50 cents.  What a deal! Our hats off to the town of Newfane for preserving a little bit of Americana.

Wilson Boat House

We opted not to visit Niagara Falls till after the holiday weekend but we did drive to the area and checked out a few of the smaller state parks and towns. We were about 18 miles from  the town of Niagara Falls and it was an easy drive via the Robert Moses Parkway.  Seriously, there was hardly anyone ever on the parkway and it is a straight shot to the Falls.    It would have been a beautiful day to see the Falls but the closer we got to Goat Island the more the traffic gridlocked.   We found a small coffee shop in a nearby town instead and enjoyed the weather.   We also got few tips from the locals about how to see the Falls. 

 The 4^th itself was a day for a barbeque and watching fireworks. Oh, and some of that local wine.    The RV park had an impressive fireworks display right on the water and it was fun to meet some of our fellow RV’ers.   Just a very nice day indeed! The next day Jack and I celebrated our 11^th wedding anniversary.  We had dinner in nearby Wilson at the historic Wilson Boat House Restaurant.   It was hard to decide whether to eat in or out.  The restaurant is beautiful!  We opted for outside dining and sailboat watching.  Very good food too!  Yum!

That's me getting wet on Hurricane Deck!

Ok, it was finally time to see those Falls!  I was getting impatient.  We ended up going on just about the worse day weather wise.  It was a cloudy day that turned into a very rainy day!  But it did not matter we were going to get wet one way or the other.  And walking in the rain under a shared umbrella over Rainbow Bridge was romantic. Right?  Well we ended up getting really really wet!  Here is the way we decided to see the Falls.  Everyone says the best view is from the Canadian side and that is true but it is also about twice as expensive.
 We went to the American side as we were told the parking at Goat Island is best for big oversized pickup trucks. Parking is $10.  You can ride a trolley around the area for $2.00 each and get off at various viewing points and attractions.   You can pay for each attraction separately or purchase a pass that will get you into all the attractions for about $36 dollars.    It is a much better deal than the Canadian side where parking is $20 and the bus pass is $7 each  and that does not include any of the boat rides or attractions.    We opted for doing the Maid of Mist and Cave of the Winds.

Jack on the Maid of the Mist

  Later we walked over to the Canadian side via the Rainbow Bridge to see the views and eat lunch. We also ended up buying  two of those pricey Canadian bus passes and an umbrella to boot, eh, because by that time it was raining waterfalls. Don’t forget your passport to cross back and forth.  And keep a few quarters handy for the crossing back into the USA.  It cost 50 cents per person.   They are magnificent any way you do them! Even in the rain!    You must see them for yourself, pictures and words do not do them justice.  We went back the next night to see them illuminated and caught part of the fireworks show over the falls.  Again it turned out to be an easy drive and parking was free at night.  It was worth staying up past our bedtime!

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The Farm that Time Forgot

Where next? Back in time!  Well, sort of but not really.  We headed out of Delaware to Lancaster county in Pennsylvania.  A land filled with picturesque farms, rolling hills, farm animals, and horse and buggy rides.  Picture post card perfect! The roads are winding, the farms immaculate and meticulously maintained.  Sigh.  Screech! These same winding two lanes roads are shared by a billion or so automobiles dodging horse carriages.  Yes, we were in the not so rural countryside where a large community of Amish and Mennonites call home.  So beautiful but turns out it has turned into a big tourist destination.  Bus loads of folks visiting to see how life was in a simpler time.  Visiting the many shops filled with crafty home décor, stopping at roadside farm stands, taking carriage rides.  I began to wonder how much was genuine and how much was show.  I have mixed feelings about the area.  Plus, the Amish and Mennonites were not overly friendly and always seemed surprise when I would say hello or ask a question at one of those many farm stands.  I guess it is to be expected if your lifestyle and religious choices were paraded as a tourist attraction.

We stayed in Intercourse, PA in a little RV park called Beacon Hill right in town.  Pretty enough but the sites were tight and staggered on a steep hill.  It was right across from a working Mennonite farm.  It was fun to watch the workings of the farm.  The field would light up with lightening bugs ( you may call them fireflies) at night bringing back wonderful childhood memories.  We do not have lightening bugs in New Mexico.  It was magical.  

The traffic became wearing after a few days.  These roads are narrow and not meant for being shared by both automobiles and horse carriages often making for harrowing near collisions. Plus, getting anywhere was confusing.  You never quite had a real sense of direction, even our GPS systems seemed to whack out.  We often drove right by our destinations never realizing it because nothing was marked.  One day we visited the Mascot Roller Mill and Ressler Home.  It was very interesting and worth getting lost.  It was of one of those places we drove by twice!  And the Lapp Family farm (we missed the turn three times for this one) has a dairy store where you can get wonderful homemade ice cream in a homemade waffle cone.   The cows are right there along with where they make the ice cream and butter.   They allow you to walk along the grounds but ask that women dress respectfully – no shorts or low cut tops if you want to watch them milk the cows.    I felt judged.

The town of Hershey was also nearby, that Mecca of chocolate making.  It was free to visit the store. It was not what I was expecting.  It was much more like Disney Theme Park than a factory tour complete with singing robot cows and an amusement park which is not free.   I'd recommend passing on this unless you have small children.   It is very much a tourist trap and crazy crowded.  Another day we visited the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania   in nearby Strasburg.  It was impressive and worth a visit whether or not you are a train buff.  Across the street is the Strasburg Railroad offering a train ride in the nearby countryside.  Jack and I did not do this,  but it did look like it would be  fun to do especially with children.

We ended staying here longer than expected due to our dog Wodi needing the removal of a benign tumor on his eyelid. He is doing well and fully recovered.  We had to switch RV parks  mid stay because no availability at Beacon Hill.  The second park was larger and sites more level but had an odd vibe.  Or maybe it was me and I was ready to move on, but  it was next to one of those farm stands. Hmmmm, I smell fresh baked bread.   Maybe I'll get some of that bread first.

De La Warr

The Smith cousins

The next few weeks were spent visiting family in South Carolina and then Virginia.  We had a good ole time enjoying all the nieces and nephews and their children. Lots of hugging and eating all around! Jack even had a chance to reconnect with some of his cousins.  The three of them have not been together in one place in over 30 years!  They haven’t changed a bit ;)  It was funny to notice that they all had beards.

Lake Fairfax

 Lake Fairfax Park is located just outside of DC.  It was close to my nephew’s home and worth mentioning.  Electric and water only but it was a pretty and unexpected oasis in the midst of the very congested urban sprawl of Washington DC.  It would make good base if you are planning on visiting the DC area in a RV.  We opted out of venturing into the capital proper this time as the focus was on visiting family.  I do have older posts on both areas.

It was time to move on and go on diet!  We headed to one of those states not conveniently located on the Eastern seaboard.   Tucked away just east of the DC craziness and the other side of Maryland is Delaware.  Sigh.  Glad to be out of the traffic and off the 495 beltway that circles DC.  We crossed over on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge (not to be confused with Chesapeake Tunnel Bridge).  Hmm,  Chesapeake , now  that’s a name I think I learned something about a long time ago in school.   Way back there was a Lord De La Warr,  he crossed  the Big Pond to help out the Jamestown Colony in the early days of our country's history.  He later became the first governor of the Virginia colony and eventually had the state of Delaware named after him.  Turns out Jack’s nephew John David has been researching the family tree and that same person is Jack’s great grandfather 11 times removed. Who knew!

Cypress Trees at Trap Pond

Delaware check. Delaware is a small state and one of three states Jack and I have not visited. We can check this one off.   Now we just have to get to Rhode Island and North Dakota and we will have seen all 50 states together.  Delaware was a pleasant mix of rural farm lands, coastal tourist towns, small towns and some genuinely friendly folks.  We stayed in the older Trap Pond State Park, noted for having one of the northernmost stands of natural growing Cypress trees in the US.   It is a pretty park with some really big old trees which makes some of the sites (water and electric only)  difficult to navigate.     Unfortunately, it also has deer ticks so do wear bug repellent if walking any of the trails and check for ticks afterwards.  We found some of those nasty Lyme disease carrying suckers on Jack.  Yuck!  A quick note about the park, it fills up on the weekends with local families and gets quite busy.  However, during the week it was almost empty and very pleasant.

Delaware Coast

We were thinking at one point on this trip of visiting some of the bigger cities on the Eastern Seaboard.  Philadelphia and New York are just north of Delaware.  We decided not to deal with the problems a big city presents for a RV and opted to go to Lancaster County in Pennsylvania and start heading away from the coast.  I can  already smell the bread baking.