Sunday, August 28, 2016

Western New York



WESTERN NEW YORK

The route so far.



Our Allegany Mountains home base.

Weekend activities-old cars, old songs, and of course,
LOTS of old people!

Lake fun as well as mountains.


Our site.


The large Allegany State Park 
took us a long day to fully enjoy.

The standard pose.

At the lodge in the Red House area.


"Climbing" on Thunder Rocks.


Our Niagara area base, Niagara Lazy Lakes.


  The water current under this bridge is about 28 miles per hour.
The water depth is about 175 feet and in
one minute approximately six billion (6,000,000,000)
        pounds of water cross under the Rainbow Bridge.


you can view the American Falls
and the Canadian Falls.

We stayed way past our bedtime.


It is a lot safer using a barrel to go over the Canadian Falls.


After that ride we enjoyed the views
and lunch at the Skylon Tower.

The Erie Canal links back east with the expanding west.


In Lockport a series of 5 locks were built and
were an engineering triumph for the day.


 
The "flight of five" locks on the Erie Canal in Lockport.
These five lock raised/lowered boat 60 feet. 
10 boats, 5 up and 5 down could be handled at the same time.
Very impressive for 1825.


Of course, the pose.


 
Olcott a small fishing village on Lake Ontario.


A relaxing place.


Fort Niagara State Park in Youngstown.


This light house was open,
so of course we climbed to the top.


The French Castle was built to look like a French Chateau
was built in 1727 but the fort dates back to 1679.
Interesting reading.


The Queen and I in the French Castle.


We stayed for a British cannon firing demonstration.

On Lake Ontario there was an ongoing sailing class
and this artillery master said that today's
target would be one of the sail boats, then fired.


Got one!  They were capsizing all afternoon in
order to practice up-righting their craft.
Still, the timing was fun.


We always try to visit presidential sites. 
This one in the Millard Fillmore's home in East Aurora.


Millard Fillmore's tomb in Forest Lawn, Buffalo.


The Anchor Bar was a short trip from Forest Lawn.
The history was worth every penny,
but the wings would only garner 2 or 3 stars.

We enjoyed them anyway!


See.

A picnic stop in the Catskill Mountains
on our way to Massachusetts.














Wednesday, August 10, 2016

OHIO

The route and stops through Ohio.


A large and interesting market near
Wilmington Thousand Trails.


An evening foot soak in the Clear Fork of the Mohican River.
Our site was very near and in the Resorts of Distinction Park,
Wally World River Resort in Loudonville.


The Loudonville area is home to Ohio's
biggest canoeing, camping, and kayaking recreational spot.  
Even dog kayaking!


Hiking in the Mohican Memorial State Forest.

On our way to Lyon's Falls.


Judy IS in the photo and has the usual pose.
We were a little disappointed in Lyon Falls,
it was nearly dry.



Harsh lighting almost washes Judy out at the
covered bridge in the state forest.



We also visited Holmes County, the county just to the east.
  Surprisingly, it is the location of the largest
Amish community in the world.
We enjoyed lunch, antiquing, and a beautiful drive.
Except for one thing. 
We left during the afternoon commute and have never seen so many
barns, buggies, bicycles, and bi-pedal pedestrians in our lives.
Enjoyed the rush hour!




Enjoying a pizza and beer in Geneva-on-the-Lake.

We visited these areas from Kenisee Lake Thousand Trails.


The taller bridge (Smolen-Gulf) in the background is the
longest covered one in the USA. (613 feet) 
The one in the foreground is under construction
and is for pedestrians and bicycles only. 
Judy is in the middle of the Ashtabula River,
nearly 100 feet below the Smolen-Gulf bridge.


Dennis' pose a little further downstream.


Sunset Park on Lake Erie allowed us to climb down,
wade, and explore.

Judy thinks a new route back to the top is in order.


At Conneuat Harbor, there is a photo op
and a nice view of the light house.