August 27, 2010:
It was a slow morning at the Alphas. Wed took the dogs for a walk to see if we could get them acquainted. It worked; by the time we returned home they were fine together. It helped that the Alpha dogs were males. The only animals that didn’t join the party were the 2 cats. We had lunch and went to the Corning Museum of Glass. We stayed for about 5 hours, after having been joined by Karen a bit after 5:00pm. Karen told us the late Katherin Hepburn was a member of the Houghton family, majority stockholders of Corning Incorporated. When we returned to the house, Nick, the younger son of the Alphas, was there, having come from NYC on his way to the family cottage in Canada. It was a late night (at least for me), and I finally crashed just before mid-night.
August 28, 2010:
Saturday morning, a school friend joined Nick, and they left for Canada about 10:00am. Jim drove us to Rockwell Museum of Western Art shortly after, and we spent about 2 hours there. This was another great museum of paintings, photographs and sculpture by artists, some of whom we had seen before and others new. The most famous were Charles “Charlie’ M. Russell whose museum in Great Falls MT we visited on an earlier trip. Jim picked us up and took us for a drive through the Corning area. He worked for Corning Incorporated for 33 years and has a great sense of history of the area. Most of the stock of Corning Incorporated is owned by the Houghton family and have strong ties to the area. They and Corning Incorporated were the driving force for rebuilding of the downtown when, on June 22, 1972, the remains of Hurricane Agnes started dumping rain in the area. By Friday June 23, 1972, dams on the Chemung River broke and the water crested in downtown at 9:00am. There are painted lines on the exterior windows of the Museum of Glass showing the height of the water at maximum flood stage. I think it is fair to say that without the support of the Houghton family and Corning Incorporated, the city would not be what it is today. Jim told us the story of some massive compressors that were on the loading dock of the Ingersoll-Rand Plant a few miles upstream that were swept by the flood through the town, crushing buildings and other structures. Eighteen people were lost in the floods and some of the buildings still have mud in the basements. We returned for lunch and then headed to Watkins Glen and Seneca Lake for a late afternoon sail and dinner. We saw the John Alden designed schooner Malabar VII built in 1926. No much wind, but still a beautiful sight.
Back to Corning for an early to bed.August 29, 2010:
Leaving day, unfortunately. We had a terrific time, and Karen sent us off with a huge waffle breakfast with genuine NY maple syrup. Happily, no excitement on the trip home. We followed US15 that is slowly becoming an Interstate Highway. Northern PA, before we met the Susquehanna River, was beautiful with rolling green hills and trees. We stopped at a Wendy’s for salads and then arrived home at 7:25pm after traveling 262 miles. Into the house, open the windows, turn on the water, plug in the electrical cords, turn on the fans, turn on the stove, clothes dryer and hot water heater and then into the shower. Then to bed!
Summary:
This trip was very different from the ones we have taken in the past. We were on the road for three and a half weeks, drove only 1,480 miles as compared to 2008 when we traveled about 18,000 miles and were gone 6 months. The scenery is very different, and we spent most time focusing on ‘GEMS’ as identified by AAA. The Finger Lakes were the highlight of the trip, and we will go back to see more in the future. Thanks to all the friends who took us in. Your hospitality made a good trip a great trip.
2010 – Week 3
August 20, 2010:
A beautiful morning! Susie had the best sleep of this trip, and we hope she is finally winning the battle over whatever she has. The wind shifted to the northeast, and the morning temperature was 61º. We wandered around for a bit and had breakfast before leaving for Canton NY and the Antique Boat Museum. Let me say right now, if you are anywhere near Canton, you need to set aside about 3 hours to tour the facility. The facility not only displays old wooden boats, but several of the restored craft are operational and tickets can be purchased for an on-the-water trip.
Many of the small craft, lovingly restored, are rigged for sailing. There were gaff-rigged, Marconi-rigged, sloops and yawls. Many of the craft had wicker seats, a feature Susie loved.
We saw two skiffs that had a device known as ‘the disappearing propeller’. The propeller shaft has a u-joint that allows the propeller to enter a waterproof housing inside the boat when the skeg, attached to the strut holding the end of the propeller shaft, strikes the bottom and pushes the shaft, strut and propeller up into the waterproof housing. Neat! 
There was an Indian dugout, stained a light blue color. In a separate building we saw the start of the restoration of the ‘Wild Goose’, the motor yacht that is the signature of the Museum.
There was a separate building showcasing the quest for speed and world records. The first record was about 20 knots and the highest speed about 340 knots.
We also had a tour of the Boldt family houseboat. It had sunk during WWII as the mahogany hull failed, but only the first floor was affected. The McNally family of Rand-McNally fame purchased the boat during WWII. He had a steel barge built and, through a complicated set of maneuvers, placed the houseboat (without the mahogany hull) on the new hull. He kept the houseboat for about 50 years before donating it to the Museum. We had lunch at Bella’s, on the St Lawrence River, hoping to see some shipping action, but there was none. For desert we went to another place that specialized in fresh pies. Susie had strawberry rhubarb, and I had blackberry. It should go without saying that both were a la mode. We returned to the campground to find that almost every empty spot was filled with new arrivals. Lots of kids and dogs, all trying to define their territory. Everyone loves Daisy and wants to pet her so they run to be the first. It was a nerve-wracking walk getting her to the water to burn off some energy as she had been in the RV most of the day. Tomorrow we drive about 50 miles to a one-night stand in another state park on the northeast corner of Lake Ontario.
August 21, 2010:
Woke up this morning to complete overcast and flat calm. Temperature was 64º. The families who moved in yesterday, were out in force, especially the kids. Bicycles, push scooters and almost any other sort of transport were roaring up and down the road. One mother hoped that her son would learn how to ride is bike without training wheels. She said it was the perfect place, no loose gravel or potholes. I made a comment to another mother, as her son roared by on his push scooter, that he was ‘a hoot’. She replied that he certainly was, from 6:30am to 8:30pm. I think she briefly considered giving him to us for a few hours so she could get some rest. We left the campground just before 11:00am and headed southwest on NY12, through Clayton to Cape Vincent where we discovered a Farmer’s (plus several other things) Market in the town square. There were three agriculture vendors plus the US Coast Guard Auxiliary, a lady with snakes and a huge (24” diameter) tortoise. One man had a snake draped around his neck. There was also a family with 3 llamas including one baby. Daisy was really interested in all these things, and many people were interested in her. There was a small art gallery, and Susie went in while I stayed outside with Daisy. She came out a bit later and told me that I should go inside to see the steel sculptures of trees without any leaves on the branches. They were terrific and probably worth the $900+ the artist wanted. During the War of 1812, American troops were encamped at Cape Vincent, plus many other towns along the St Lawrence River. I need to do some checking on the War of 1812 to refresh what little I really know about this conflict (aside from the Battle of New Orleans). Susie bought a woven basket for a bathroom, and not to be outdone, I bought a basket for the mail. We should have had the man who made them sign his work. Susie also bought some vegetables. It was a little bit early, but we decided to stop in a small shop for a light lunch that was very tasty. Back in the RV and head further to the southwest to visit the Tibbetts Point Lighthouse, first constructed in 1827 and reconstructed in 1854. It is not the first lighthouse into the St Lawrence River, but a very important one.
The drive along the shore of the St Lawrence River from Cape Vincent was slow and scenic. There were some wonderful old houses and other newer homes and cottages on the riverfront. Some of the newer stuff wasn’t so good, but most had terrific views of the river and the wind turbines in Canada. As we wandered through the Tibbetts Point Lighthouse complex we came to the foghorn building. As we entered the vacant building, a motion detector sensed our presence and the sound of a foghorn (muted) filled the building. Susie almost jumped out of her skin. We went into the Visitors Center and discovered a sheet showing the water levels and locks that make up the seaway from Duluth MN, passed Montreal and into the Atlantic Ocean. Now I can go back and check my facts in the earlier blogs. We left the lighthouse and headed south to Long Point State Park. This drive was different as it was away from the water. Farmland was everywhere, but the buildings were slowly falling into disrepair. We checked in and took Daisy for a swim before the rains started a bit after 5:00pm. We experienced a windstorm and rolled up the awning to prevent damage. We also brought everything inside that we could.
August 22, 2010:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SUSIE! She woke up at 12:45am, so I told her then. It rained intermittently all night. We took showers, had breakfast and did some other chores. The most exciting moment was when I discovered I had planned to spend 2 nights at Long Point SP. A mad scramble on the telephone and with the local park people to see what could be done. We canceled the second night at Long Point, moved the reservation for Cayuga Lake State Park forward one day and added a one night reservation at Taughannock SP, a park we learned about from a fellow camper. We left Long Point SP, headed south and then west following the Seaway Route that runs from the intersection of VT, NY and Canada borders to the NY and PA border at Lake Ontario. We passed several War of 1812 sites and as I said before, I have some reading to do on this conflict. One of the prettiest views was the water around Henderson Harbor. They sail Lightnings there. It rained for pretty much the entire 47-mile drive. We checked in Cayuga Lake SP and even though it looked as if it would rain any minute took a walk to stretch our eight legs. It didn’t so we cooked hamburgers outside on ‘George’, much easier than over a campfire! The rains finally came a bit before 8:00pm. We had opened the awning so we had put everything, except the big plastic rug, under cover. A few mosquitoes infiltrated the RV. I finished the book ‘Blue Highways’ last night, so I now will listen to podcasts. I had been griping about not having a map in the book, but at the end, there it was. The author circled the perimeter of the Lower 48. We have been to many of the same places during our travels.
August 23, 2010:
We think it rained all last night. We were parked under the trees and the rain would collect on the leaves, but whenever there was a gust of wind, all the collected water came down with a crash. The good news is that there were no leaks. The steady rain stopped around 8:00am, but intermittent showers continued. We had breakfast, took showers and packed up to leave for a 32-mile trip south along NY89 to Taughannock Falls SP on the west side of Cayuga Lake. It was a nice gentle drive, and we were ale to see the lake about 40% of the time. There were numerous wineries along the lake. Must be something about the lake moderating temperatures during the growing season. We pulled in to the park and followed the signs to the Falls. It was raining pretty hard so the viewing was quick but the Falls were impressive. The water drops 215 feet and is the highest waterfall (33 feet higher than Niagra Falls) in the State of NY. We returned to the Park Office to check in and then went to our site. As it was still raining, we did some reading and took naps. Around 2:30pm we headed south on NY89 to Glenwood Pines Restaurant for lunch. The restaurant has received the award of ‘Best Burger in Ithaca” for several years. I had the burger and corn chowder soup and Susie had split pea and ham soup followed by something called corn balls. I would have said they were corn fritters, but they had corn kernels and were sweeter. The restaurant had several maps on the wall, and we were able to follow the water from Cayuga Lake (and five others) on its route north to Lake Ontario and down the St Lawrence Rive to the Atlantic Ocean. When we finished lunch, we headed back to the Park and decided that a walk would be a good idea.
We took the path along the Taughannock Creek to the Falls, a one way distance of 3/4 of a mile. As with all high falls, there is mist at the base and everyone came away wet. We returned to the campsite and found a father and son had set their pop-up camper and dining fly in our spot. When we got out of the RV, the father explained that the Park had given them the wrong spot and his wife was down at the Office trying to sort things out. Anyway, we took their space and they took ours and life is good. It looks as if the weather is trying to clear, but just cannot make it. We’ll just have to see what tomorrow brings. As I think back about the day, it seems that there has been more inept maneuvering of camping vehicles than we have ever seen. First, a there was a couple trying to place their trailer in site whose size was much more than adequate. It took them more than a half-hour. Next, there was a family trying to place an RV (a bit smaller than ours) in a spot that was also more than adequate. They went forward, backward, forward for a good long time, finally knocking over the electrical power pedestal for that site. Luckily, they didn’t knock out the power for the entire campground. They then tried for another 15 minutes trying to get the electric working. They couldn’t do it and left, only to return 20 minutes later. At that point we stopped watching. Tomorrow we may do another hike along the rim of the Taughannock Creek before leaving for Watkins Glen SP to stay for 2 nights.
August 24, 2010:
We awoke to clear skies after a night of rain. The family at the adjacent site, the ones who hit the electric box, must have leaks because they had placed a tarp over the top of their rig. While walking Daisy I saw a group of young ladies packing up their tents. They looked a bit wet, but still had their sense of humor. I talked to some of the other campers before we left the campground to take a 3-mile walk around the rim of the 400-foot deep gorge created by the Taughannock Creek over the last 10,000 years. Before we started the hike, we decided to take advantage of the sunshine and lower humidity to clean and air out the RV. Then it was time for the walk.
There were steps at the start and end of the walk to get us to the rim, and it was up and up until we reached the turn around spot at another set of falls when it was down and down. We saw several dogs, all but one friendly. We ran into a young lady who gave us some hints on photographing waterfalls. She told us that the top of the falls should be at the top of the picture, not in the middle. We tried, but we have to wait until we download the photos to see if we agree. After completing the walk, Susie took Daisy to the shore of Lake Cayuga for a swim. The water was clear and Daisy came out much cleaner than she went it. Susie made a picnic lunch that we ate on the edge of the lake, and then Daisy went swimming again. She should be a very tired dog tonight. We packed up and headed to Watkins Glen SP where we will stay for 2 nights. While the trip was only 27 miles, it was a bit circuitous as the glaciers not only scoured out the Finger Lakes but also left some serious hills running north-south. Since we were going west, it was up and down the entire time. Contrary to the trip down the lakeshore, most of the farming here was corn and soybeans and lots of them. The glaciers left some pretty remarkable and fertile soil in this area. We went into the campground, took showers and went to dinner at the Seneca Lodge, a recommendation of a local we met on the hike. My strip steak was delicious, but Susie’s lamb shis-ka-bob (spelling????) didn’t taste like lamb. Daisy will have some good snacks for breakfast and dinner. Tomorrow we’ll take another hike, this time through the gorge at this park.
August 25, 2010:
It was cloudy when we awoke and so we decided to start our walk as soon as possible. We parked the RV at the starting point and got organized. We took our raingear, and one person asked if I expected to get wet. I told him that if I took the gear, it would not rain. He shook his head and responded that he liked the theory. Off we went. It was one good view after another.
There was no vertical displacement on either side of the fractures and that is why they believe the cracks were caused by compression. A railroad bridge was at the head of the gorge and another sign told the story of the destruction of the original bridge in 1935 as the result of large flood that piled debris around the center pier, located in the center of the creek, and then collapsed the pier. The 1935 flood created severe damage, but the CCC restored the Park. For the return trip, we decided not to take the trails along the rim because of our experience yesterday where everything we could see from top was better seen from the gorge. SUSIE AND I AGREE THAT THIS WAS THE BEST SCENERY OF THIS TRIP. We returned to the RV, changed clothes and walked through downtown to find a place to eat. As we walked through the downtown, it was apparent that this town is in desperate need of help. There are many abandoned storefronts and vacant lots. The Cargill Inc. plant at the south end of the lake seems to be the largest industry in town. There is a big motor sports industry here with NASCAR, SCCA, Formula 1and motorcycles using the track. The first race was held in 1948, and the sports cars used the public streets as the track. I was excited because the MG TC car from Britain was a big participant, and I had one of them when I was 16. They had the steering wheel on the right hand side, making it a bit hard to pass a slower car (probably going the legal speed). The engine was 1498 cc’s or 90 ci. Compare that to the size of SUV’s of today. It was a fun car to drive, and I wish I still had it. We walked back to the RV and returned to the campground, stopping at the restaurant of last night’s dinner. I went in and when the lady heard that I didn’t really know if the meat was tough because I hadn’t actually eaten it, I came unhinged. Nothing will come of it, but we won’t return if we are in this area again. Camping next to us is a group of bicycle riders who are on a one-week trip. They were here last night, and Susie talked to them this afternoon. They had just taken a 60-mile trip. That would have been OK for our son-in-law Brian, but not for us. The husband of the lady providing the logistical support was scheduled to ride, but he is home sick. I give her great credit for providing the support for the other riders. At 7:00pm, a car was driving around the campsites and a German Shepherd Dog was off leash and playing with the kids. The car hit the dog. There was a lot of wailing, but he seemed ok. We all hope for the best. Susie worked on taking photos of her drawings to post to her blog when we get home.
August 26, 2010:
The first thing I saw this morning on my way to the shower was the German Shepherd Dog that has hit by the car, or actually ran into the car. He had a bandage on hit foot, and was a bit groggy from the drugs. The emergency animal service here in the Watkins Glen and surrounding communities is provided by Cornell Veterinary Hospital. It cost the guy $500 but it was well worth it. We took our showers and went to visit my cousin Bea and her husband Yoram who live in Ithaca. We arrived a bit after noon and sat outside in their wonderful garden for a bit, catching up on old times. Bea served a luncheon that was wonderful. We were overwhelmed by the food and the hospitality. After lunch, I felt like I needed a nap, but Bea offered to drive us through Cornell University. The students were just back, and it was easy to identify the freshmen (do they call the females freshwomen?) because they were always looking at a map trying to figure out where to go next. Bea took us to the house where my great aunt Daisy Farrand lived during the tenure of her husband, Livingston Farrand, as President of Cornell from 1921 to 1937. We left Bea and Yoram at 5:15pm and ran into our first traffic jam as we were leaving Ithaca. Not a big one, but still our first. We headed southwest to Corning NY to stay with Jim and Karen Alfa for 3 nights. Karen was one of Susie’s classmates at the Penn Hall School in Chambersburg PA. On the way there, we passed through areas of rolling hills and saw a sign boasting that this was the glider capital of the country and offering rides. ‘Hmmm’ mused Jamie. We weren’t sure what we would find in the city of Corning, but it seemed clean and vibrant as we drove through. We arrived at Jim and Karen’s and tried to get the dogs introduced. Karen prepared a great dinner, and Susie and I slept in a real bed for the first time in several weeks.
We also had a tour of the Boldt family houseboat. It had sunk during WWII as the mahogany hull failed, but only the first floor was affected. The McNally family of Rand-McNally fame purchased the boat during WWII. He had a steel barge built and, through a complicated set of maneuvers, placed the houseboat (without the mahogany hull) on the new hull. He kept the houseboat for about 50 years before donating it to the Museum. We had lunch at Bella’s, on the St Lawrence River, hoping to see some shipping action, but there was none. For desert we went to another place that specialized in fresh pies. Susie had strawberry rhubarb, and I had blackberry. It should go without saying that both were a la mode. We returned to the campground to find that almost every empty spot was filled with new arrivals. Lots of kids and dogs, all trying to define their territory. Everyone loves Daisy and wants to pet her so they run to be the first. It was a nerve-wracking walk getting her to the water to burn off some energy as she had been in the RV most of the day. Tomorrow we drive about 50 miles to a one-night stand in another state park on the northeast corner of Lake Ontario.August 21, 2010:
Woke up this morning to complete overcast and flat calm. Temperature was 64º. The families who moved in yesterday, were out in force, especially the kids. Bicycles, push scooters and almost any other sort of transport were roaring up and down the road. One mother hoped that her son would learn how to ride is bike without training wheels. She said it was the perfect place, no loose gravel or potholes. I made a comment to another mother, as her son roared by on his push scooter, that he was ‘a hoot’. She replied that he certainly was, from 6:30am to 8:30pm. I think she briefly considered giving him to us for a few hours so she could get some rest. We left the campground just before 11:00am and headed southwest on NY12, through Clayton to Cape Vincent where we discovered a Farmer’s (plus several other things) Market in the town square. There were three agriculture vendors plus the US Coast Guard Auxiliary, a lady with snakes and a huge (24” diameter) tortoise. One man had a snake draped around his neck. There was also a family with 3 llamas including one baby. Daisy was really interested in all these things, and many people were interested in her. There was a small art gallery, and Susie went in while I stayed outside with Daisy. She came out a bit later and told me that I should go inside to see the steel sculptures of trees without any leaves on the branches. They were terrific and probably worth the $900+ the artist wanted. During the War of 1812, American troops were encamped at Cape Vincent, plus many other towns along the St Lawrence River. I need to do some checking on the War of 1812 to refresh what little I really know about this conflict (aside from the Battle of New Orleans). Susie bought a woven basket for a bathroom, and not to be outdone, I bought a basket for the mail. We should have had the man who made them sign his work. Susie also bought some vegetables. It was a little bit early, but we decided to stop in a small shop for a light lunch that was very tasty. Back in the RV and head further to the southwest to visit the Tibbetts Point Lighthouse, first constructed in 1827 and reconstructed in 1854. It is not the first lighthouse into the St Lawrence River, but a very important one.
The drive along the shore of the St Lawrence River from Cape Vincent was slow and scenic. There were some wonderful old houses and other newer homes and cottages on the riverfront. Some of the newer stuff wasn’t so good, but most had terrific views of the river and the wind turbines in Canada. As we wandered through the Tibbetts Point Lighthouse complex we came to the foghorn building. As we entered the vacant building, a motion detector sensed our presence and the sound of a foghorn (muted) filled the building. Susie almost jumped out of her skin. We went into the Visitors Center and discovered a sheet showing the water levels and locks that make up the seaway from Duluth MN, passed Montreal and into the Atlantic Ocean. Now I can go back and check my facts in the earlier blogs. We left the lighthouse and headed south to Long Point State Park. This drive was different as it was away from the water. Farmland was everywhere, but the buildings were slowly falling into disrepair. We checked in and took Daisy for a swim before the rains started a bit after 5:00pm. We experienced a windstorm and rolled up the awning to prevent damage. We also brought everything inside that we could.August 22, 2010:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SUSIE! She woke up at 12:45am, so I told her then. It rained intermittently all night. We took showers, had breakfast and did some other chores. The most exciting moment was when I discovered I had planned to spend 2 nights at Long Point SP. A mad scramble on the telephone and with the local park people to see what could be done. We canceled the second night at Long Point, moved the reservation for Cayuga Lake State Park forward one day and added a one night reservation at Taughannock SP, a park we learned about from a fellow camper. We left Long Point SP, headed south and then west following the Seaway Route that runs from the intersection of VT, NY and Canada borders to the NY and PA border at Lake Ontario. We passed several War of 1812 sites and as I said before, I have some reading to do on this conflict. One of the prettiest views was the water around Henderson Harbor. They sail Lightnings there. It rained for pretty much the entire 47-mile drive. We checked in Cayuga Lake SP and even though it looked as if it would rain any minute took a walk to stretch our eight legs. It didn’t so we cooked hamburgers outside on ‘George’, much easier than over a campfire! The rains finally came a bit before 8:00pm. We had opened the awning so we had put everything, except the big plastic rug, under cover. A few mosquitoes infiltrated the RV. I finished the book ‘Blue Highways’ last night, so I now will listen to podcasts. I had been griping about not having a map in the book, but at the end, there it was. The author circled the perimeter of the Lower 48. We have been to many of the same places during our travels.
August 23, 2010:
We think it rained all last night. We were parked under the trees and the rain would collect on the leaves, but whenever there was a gust of wind, all the collected water came down with a crash. The good news is that there were no leaks. The steady rain stopped around 8:00am, but intermittent showers continued. We had breakfast, took showers and packed up to leave for a 32-mile trip south along NY89 to Taughannock Falls SP on the west side of Cayuga Lake. It was a nice gentle drive, and we were ale to see the lake about 40% of the time. There were numerous wineries along the lake. Must be something about the lake moderating temperatures during the growing season. We pulled in to the park and followed the signs to the Falls. It was raining pretty hard so the viewing was quick but the Falls were impressive. The water drops 215 feet and is the highest waterfall (33 feet higher than Niagra Falls) in the State of NY. We returned to the Park Office to check in and then went to our site. As it was still raining, we did some reading and took naps. Around 2:30pm we headed south on NY89 to Glenwood Pines Restaurant for lunch. The restaurant has received the award of ‘Best Burger in Ithaca” for several years. I had the burger and corn chowder soup and Susie had split pea and ham soup followed by something called corn balls. I would have said they were corn fritters, but they had corn kernels and were sweeter. The restaurant had several maps on the wall, and we were able to follow the water from Cayuga Lake (and five others) on its route north to Lake Ontario and down the St Lawrence Rive to the Atlantic Ocean. When we finished lunch, we headed back to the Park and decided that a walk would be a good idea.
We took the path along the Taughannock Creek to the Falls, a one way distance of 3/4 of a mile. As with all high falls, there is mist at the base and everyone came away wet. We returned to the campsite and found a father and son had set their pop-up camper and dining fly in our spot. When we got out of the RV, the father explained that the Park had given them the wrong spot and his wife was down at the Office trying to sort things out. Anyway, we took their space and they took ours and life is good. It looks as if the weather is trying to clear, but just cannot make it. We’ll just have to see what tomorrow brings. As I think back about the day, it seems that there has been more inept maneuvering of camping vehicles than we have ever seen. First, a there was a couple trying to place their trailer in site whose size was much more than adequate. It took them more than a half-hour. Next, there was a family trying to place an RV (a bit smaller than ours) in a spot that was also more than adequate. They went forward, backward, forward for a good long time, finally knocking over the electrical power pedestal for that site. Luckily, they didn’t knock out the power for the entire campground. They then tried for another 15 minutes trying to get the electric working. They couldn’t do it and left, only to return 20 minutes later. At that point we stopped watching. Tomorrow we may do another hike along the rim of the Taughannock Creek before leaving for Watkins Glen SP to stay for 2 nights.August 24, 2010:
We awoke to clear skies after a night of rain. The family at the adjacent site, the ones who hit the electric box, must have leaks because they had placed a tarp over the top of their rig. While walking Daisy I saw a group of young ladies packing up their tents. They looked a bit wet, but still had their sense of humor. I talked to some of the other campers before we left the campground to take a 3-mile walk around the rim of the 400-foot deep gorge created by the Taughannock Creek over the last 10,000 years. Before we started the hike, we decided to take advantage of the sunshine and lower humidity to clean and air out the RV. Then it was time for the walk.
There were steps at the start and end of the walk to get us to the rim, and it was up and up until we reached the turn around spot at another set of falls when it was down and down. We saw several dogs, all but one friendly. We ran into a young lady who gave us some hints on photographing waterfalls. She told us that the top of the falls should be at the top of the picture, not in the middle. We tried, but we have to wait until we download the photos to see if we agree. After completing the walk, Susie took Daisy to the shore of Lake Cayuga for a swim. The water was clear and Daisy came out much cleaner than she went it. Susie made a picnic lunch that we ate on the edge of the lake, and then Daisy went swimming again. She should be a very tired dog tonight. We packed up and headed to Watkins Glen SP where we will stay for 2 nights. While the trip was only 27 miles, it was a bit circuitous as the glaciers not only scoured out the Finger Lakes but also left some serious hills running north-south. Since we were going west, it was up and down the entire time. Contrary to the trip down the lakeshore, most of the farming here was corn and soybeans and lots of them. The glaciers left some pretty remarkable and fertile soil in this area. We went into the campground, took showers and went to dinner at the Seneca Lodge, a recommendation of a local we met on the hike. My strip steak was delicious, but Susie’s lamb shis-ka-bob (spelling????) didn’t taste like lamb. Daisy will have some good snacks for breakfast and dinner. Tomorrow we’ll take another hike, this time through the gorge at this park.August 25, 2010:
It was cloudy when we awoke and so we decided to start our walk as soon as possible. We parked the RV at the starting point and got organized. We took our raingear, and one person asked if I expected to get wet. I told him that if I took the gear, it would not rain. He shook his head and responded that he liked the theory. Off we went. It was one good view after another.
The gorge is awesome, and everyone we saw commented on the beauty. Lots of pictures. One of the boards along the walk indicated that 400 million years ago, the area was under water and the sedimentary rock we saw was created then. We ran into a couple whose RV was parked next to ours in the parking lot. They have been doing the same type
of trips as we have, and it was fun to swap stories. Their RV is a Winnebago View, the small M-B diesel powered vehicle that gets about 19-20mpg. Continuing upstream, we ran into numerous families; kids, grandparents, parents, etc. All were having a great time, but the kids seemed to be the most curious and excited about the falls. Another board indicated that this area was the point at which the North American and African continents had collided, creating vertical compression factures through the sedimentary rock.
There was no vertical displacement on either side of the fractures and that is why they believe the cracks were caused by compression. A railroad bridge was at the head of the gorge and another sign told the story of the destruction of the original bridge in 1935 as the result of large flood that piled debris around the center pier, located in the center of the creek, and then collapsed the pier. The 1935 flood created severe damage, but the CCC restored the Park. For the return trip, we decided not to take the trails along the rim because of our experience yesterday where everything we could see from top was better seen from the gorge. SUSIE AND I AGREE THAT THIS WAS THE BEST SCENERY OF THIS TRIP. We returned to the RV, changed clothes and walked through downtown to find a place to eat. As we walked through the downtown, it was apparent that this town is in desperate need of help. There are many abandoned storefronts and vacant lots. The Cargill Inc. plant at the south end of the lake seems to be the largest industry in town. There is a big motor sports industry here with NASCAR, SCCA, Formula 1and motorcycles using the track. The first race was held in 1948, and the sports cars used the public streets as the track. I was excited because the MG TC car from Britain was a big participant, and I had one of them when I was 16. They had the steering wheel on the right hand side, making it a bit hard to pass a slower car (probably going the legal speed). The engine was 1498 cc’s or 90 ci. Compare that to the size of SUV’s of today. It was a fun car to drive, and I wish I still had it. We walked back to the RV and returned to the campground, stopping at the restaurant of last night’s dinner. I went in and when the lady heard that I didn’t really know if the meat was tough because I hadn’t actually eaten it, I came unhinged. Nothing will come of it, but we won’t return if we are in this area again. Camping next to us is a group of bicycle riders who are on a one-week trip. They were here last night, and Susie talked to them this afternoon. They had just taken a 60-mile trip. That would have been OK for our son-in-law Brian, but not for us. The husband of the lady providing the logistical support was scheduled to ride, but he is home sick. I give her great credit for providing the support for the other riders. At 7:00pm, a car was driving around the campsites and a German Shepherd Dog was off leash and playing with the kids. The car hit the dog. There was a lot of wailing, but he seemed ok. We all hope for the best. Susie worked on taking photos of her drawings to post to her blog when we get home.August 26, 2010:
The first thing I saw this morning on my way to the shower was the German Shepherd Dog that has hit by the car, or actually ran into the car. He had a bandage on hit foot, and was a bit groggy from the drugs. The emergency animal service here in the Watkins Glen and surrounding communities is provided by Cornell Veterinary Hospital. It cost the guy $500 but it was well worth it. We took our showers and went to visit my cousin Bea and her husband Yoram who live in Ithaca. We arrived a bit after noon and sat outside in their wonderful garden for a bit, catching up on old times. Bea served a luncheon that was wonderful. We were overwhelmed by the food and the hospitality. After lunch, I felt like I needed a nap, but Bea offered to drive us through Cornell University. The students were just back, and it was easy to identify the freshmen (do they call the females freshwomen?) because they were always looking at a map trying to figure out where to go next. Bea took us to the house where my great aunt Daisy Farrand lived during the tenure of her husband, Livingston Farrand, as President of Cornell from 1921 to 1937. We left Bea and Yoram at 5:15pm and ran into our first traffic jam as we were leaving Ithaca. Not a big one, but still our first. We headed southwest to Corning NY to stay with Jim and Karen Alfa for 3 nights. Karen was one of Susie’s classmates at the Penn Hall School in Chambersburg PA. On the way there, we passed through areas of rolling hills and saw a sign boasting that this was the glider capital of the country and offering rides. ‘Hmmm’ mused Jamie. We weren’t sure what we would find in the city of Corning, but it seemed clean and vibrant as we drove through. We arrived at Jim and Karen’s and tried to get the dogs introduced. Karen prepared a great dinner, and Susie and I slept in a real bed for the first time in several weeks.
August 28, 2010:
We then turned around and biked to the Eisenhower Lock on the St Lawrence River. There is also the Snett Lock, the last lock of the project, a few miles further downstream. The construction of the power dam and the Eisenhower Lock required a massive modification to the flow patterns of the St Lawrence River and the construction of the Wiley Dondero Canal entirely in the US. All these modifications probably would be very difficult, if not impossible, to accomplish is these times with the tougher environmental laws. Not only were the power dam and the locks built, but also another dam, the Long Sault Dam, was built to close a branch of the river to divert more water to the power dam. The Eisenhower Lock looked small to us, having seen the locks at Sault Saint Marie, and it was the largest ship the Eisenhower Lock could pass was 740 feet in length and 78 foot beam. The Sault Saint Marie locks can accommodate ships of 1,006 feet in length, 106 feet beam. The Sault Saint Marie locks are the biggest in the system, but the boats that use them never go further east than Lake Erie. The dimensions of the locks on the Welland Canal that bypasses Niagara Falls set the dimensions of the remaining locks. The Welland Canal has eight locks with to compensate for the 326-foot difference in elevation between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The bike ride was 16+ miles. Daisy was full of energy, and we weren’t. She swam and we tossed sticks for the longest time. Finally she settled. We had hamburgers over the fire and sat outside as the moon rose and the sun set. The few clouds were colorful. There is a family, looks like 2 sets of parents and one set of grand across the road from us. Lots of little kids and it sounds as if the stress level is increasing. Hopefully they will settle soon. The embers in the fire ring are bright orange, but it won’t last for long.
August 18, 2010:
We goofed off this morning before leaving the campground at 10:30am. It was very relaxing and what we needed after yesterday. We drove to Ogdensburg NY, following the St Lawrence River. We noticed the long lengths of dikes that were constructed to hold back the raised level of the river. The Canadian side didn’t seem to have many, if any dikes, and so the river just flooded the land. At Ogdensburg, we toured the Fredrick Remington Museum. I didn’t know much about Remington, but thought he was born a cowboy in the west and did most of his art out there. It turns out he was born in Canton NY, very close to Ogdensburg, and loved the country. Later in life, he lived in New Rochelle NY. He also owned a small island in the St Lawrence River where he spent the summers. In addition to his paintings and sculpture, he wrote and illustrated books. Teddy Roosevelt had him illustrate some of his books. I saw a large Tiffany grandfather clock in the museum and commented that we have one, not nearly as elaborate as this one, which was given to my stepfather’s mother as a wedding present in 1905. One of the guides was able to tell me that the Durfee Clock Works of Providence RI probably made the case for our clock. We had lunch in the RV and then went across the street to the Ogdensburg Library to catch up on mail. I decided to avoid the news. We pushed on and arrived at the Wellesley Island State Park (near Alexandria Bay NY) and set up camp. I made reservations for a cruise around the 1000 Islands and tour of Boldt Castle tomorrow. Daisy is sacked out on the sofa for the night. We met a family from the Chicago area, and they gave us some other places we should visit.
August 19, 2010:
When we got up this morning, the skies were clean and the wind from the southwest. The forecast is still calling for rain in the late afternoon so we think we made the correct decision on taking the cruise today and touring the Boldt Castle and boathouse afterwards. We left the campground shortly after 11:00am and drove to Alexandria Bay to pick up tickets and take a quick around a very touristy town. We had to park the RV way out of town at a spot they care ‘the desert’. I took the RV with Daisy and got her set up, tucked behind some large RV’s to protect her from the sun. The shuttle bus delivered me back to town. I couldn’t find Susie, but did find the ice cream shop. By the time Susie found me, I was halfway through the cone. She had scoped out most of the stores and didn’t find anything she wanted. We boarded the Uncle Sam Sightseeing Lines and started off on the ‘2 Nations’ Tour, a duration of 2.25 hours. We had a buffet lunch with the most awful ice tea I have ever had. We saw numerous houses that we just too much to imagine.
The skies were filled with large cumulus clouds and the winds still blew from the southwest. It was just delightful. At the end of the tour, we were dropped off at Boldt Castle. This complex was being constructed for Mr. and Mrs. Boldt as a summer place, but she died unexpectedly in January 1904, and Mr. Boldt stopped all work, never to return there again. The house and grounds fell into disrepair through several owners until it was donated to the Thousand Island Bridge Authority. Repairs are being made as money allows. All the entry fees and donations go to the repairs. The outside skin of the building was the first order of business, and it appears that the weather no longer is affecting the building.
Now to the inside. I would say that the 1st floor is about 80% restored and the 2nd about 50%. Falling plaster has been removed as needed and interior doors and woodwork have been salvaged for later use. We toured several of the out buildings, including the powerhouse for generating electricity and providing water to the home. The floor plans we saw had a very large, capacity unknown, water tank on the top floor so that there would be water pressure on the floors below. We boarded a small shuttle boat and visited the boathouse that was across the river. 
It was big enough to moor Mr. Boldt’s 100-foot long private yacht and the doors were tall enough that the masts could remain upright when the vessel was inside. It was also possible to raise the boat out of the water during the winter. The boathouse now has several restored power racing craft, and they are beautiful. One was 38’ long with a beam of 4’10” and had a top speed of 20 knots.
No much compared to today’s craft, but pretty good for the early 1900’s. There were also two 40’-50’ vessels built in the early 1900’s. They have also been restored. There were a few sailing vessels, also long and narrow. One sail had a Ratsey and Lapthorn label, confirmation of times long past. We discovered that Mrs. Boldt had a houseboat that was pulled by a tugboat. We were sure that the vessel must have been long gone, but wee heard that it is in the historical boat museum in Clayton NY, a few miles down the road and up the river. We were going there to kayak anyway, so a tour through the museum is a must. Hope the weather is as great as the forecast.
2010 – Week 1
August 6, 2010:
After a frantic day and a half, we managed to leave Howard Lodge Drive for our trip to the Delaware Gap NRA (National Recreation Area) located about 25 miles north of Stroudsburg PA. The trip was generally uneventful, but we didn’t always follow Gabby Garmin’s directions, especially around York and Harrisburg PA. We knew we were smarter and tried to go through Harrisburg PA on the Interstates, and it was a disaster! The next failure was Gabby’s fault as she had us going on US22 around the north side of Allentown PA rather than taking I-78 across the south side and then heading north. Susie made a great move while the traffic was stopped, but the driver delivering a new truck tractor took umbrage and blew his horn for a long time as we took a detour and got back on I-78 for about 20 miles, then north on US209 to Dingmans Ferry and Dingmans Campground where we pulled in at 6:00pm. The breeze was blowing and the humidity low. Daisy and I walked the campground and noticed that the Delaware River is low so our planned canoe trip tomorrow may not be as good as anticipated. Sleep came early, 9:30pm.
August 7, 2010:
What a wonderful sleep! It was cool and the surroundings quiet. There are no heavy vehicles allowed on US209, and therefore no truck noise. Susie took a run, and I took Daisy for a walk through the Delaware River along the edge of the cornfields. Once again, Daisy has been our chief ambassador with many people stopping to talk with us about her. We met a couple from Baltimore. We loaded up and were driven to the start point for the 8-mile, three plus hour canoe trip down the Delaware River. At the start, the wind was with us, but we soon discovered, without rhyme or reason, it could (and did) come from every direction
Only the current flowed south. Unlike our trips out west, there are deciduous trees everywhere, and the river scenery is refreshing. There were 2 canoe companies on the river so it was loaded, but the pullout point for the other company was a mile upstream from ours so we had very peaceful last mile with no other canoes in sight. We learned of another section of the Delaware River, north of Port Jervis NY, that has been designated a ‘scenic river’ by the NPS. It flows through deep canyons, and we were assured that it is worth a stop on some other trip north. The rest of the day was relaxing, and I received a long overdue haircut. I tried to hang the hammock for some well deserved rest for both of us, but we found that the mice had gotten there first, leaving a big hole right were our bodies would be. At least we didn’t drag it around until the end of the trip and discover the damage then. Into the dumpster now! Tomorrow we head north, stopping at West Point and then continuing to a NY State Park north of Poughkeepsie NY for 2 nights.
August 8, 2010:
The temperature this morning was 58º. I took Daisy for a walk and found a mother/daughter who were lost and looking for campsite 29. I had no idea so off they went to find someone more knowledgeable. There were 2 chocolate labs free of their leashes and both came over to talk to Daisy. Thank goodness they were males. We left the campsite at 10:20am and headed northeast to tour the USMA at West Point. On the way, as we approached Port Jervis NY, we saw a large tower, similar to the Washington Monument in profile, on the NJ side of the Delaware River. This monument marks the intersection of the states of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. We traveled up the west shore of the Hudson River near Newburgh NY. Many of the commercial buildings along the river must have been abandoned decades ago. The only activity seemed to be around the large oil storage tanks. We arrived at West Point and signed on for a bus tour that was OK, but not as good as the walking tour we took of the USNA in Annapolis.
West Point takes pride in being ‘locked down’ after the attacks of 9/11, and it is hard to get information about the history of the place. After the tour we had to have an ice cream before heading north through Poughkeepsie and Hyde Park to the town of Staatsburg NY. We are staying in the Mills-Norrie State Park for the next 2 nights. I thought there was electricity here but was mistaken. Tomorrow we will be tour FDR’s Home and Museum and Eleanor’s house, Val-Kil. My Uncle Phil will be turning in his grave as we enter the premises. We walked along the shore of the Hudson River, and Daisy was able to take a swim for the first time in a number of days. We’ll see how sore she is tomorrow. Across the river is a huge building built like a castle with a tall watchtower. We have no idea what it is. There are threats of isolated thunderstorms this evening and night. I am sitting outside the RV as I write this and we are being bombarded with nuts or something hard from the trees. It seems a bit early for this, but maybe it portends an early winter.
August 9, 2010:
It was a hot night last night (15º higher than last night), and the humidity was up. We had a slow morning, and Susie had her run. We left the campground around 11:30am and headed south to the FDR home and Museum.
We took a break around 2:30pm to check on Daisy and get a bite to eat. Even with the fans going and reflector screens in place, the interior temp of the RV got to 91º. We turned on the generator and found a place where we could park in the shade, reducing the temperature to 85º for the rest of the day. We, and seven others, took a US Park Ranger tour to FDR’s ‘Top Cottage’. This was the place that he planned to write his memoirs and organize his papers but was unable to accomplish because of his death. This was a small group, and we sat in a semi-circle listening to the Ranger talk about FDR and his life. It was very interesting and the hour-long discussion was far too short. Later, we also walked around the premises of the house that Eleanor Roosevelt built in 1924. She lived in this house from the day FDR died in 1945 until her death on November 7, 1962. There is another, and much more handsome, house on the property that was built earlier. As the last act of the day, we drove through the property of Frederick Vanderbilt, a large summer mansion built in 1898 in the Beaux-Arts Architecture style.
The National Park Service now owns the property. The exterior details of the house are wonderful and the NPS has placed a very fine netting to prevent birds nesting in all the nocks and crannies. We were too late for a tour of the house, but the views of the Hudson River Valley were spectacular. About 150 feet from the back of the house, overlooking the Hudson River, there is a very steep slope down to river. We noticed electric fencing at the top and bottom of the slope and soon discover a herd of goats that keeps the slopes ‘mowed’. Much more efficient than humans! We returned to the campground, filling up with gas and water and dumping the wastewater so we are ready for the trip tomorrow to Bob and Ginny Harrison’s place in Schuylerville NY. It is not yet a house as they are securing permits, etc. We last saw them in June when they were in Baltimore to support their daughter Kim when she presented a paper on sports medicine. It is now 8:15pm, the sun has set and the generator and AC are still running. It is going to be another hot night. We turned the generator off at 9:00am and soon after the CO alarm rang, and we had to blow all that nice cold air outside to clear the inside of the RV.
August 10, 2010:
It rained early this morning, not hard, but the raindrop falling through the trees make a very great sound as they it the RV roof. It is warm and sticky, and the ground is muddy enough that Daisy must stay in the RV. We decided to wait on breakfast and stop at the Mill’s home and property that comprises part of the State Park we camped in. This home was originally the property of the Livingston family, an early family in the upper Hudson River Valley. A Livingston daughter married Ogden Mills and the property became the Mills House. In our tour of the home, we learned that the Livingston family owned 1.2 million acres on the east side of the Hudson River from Albany south to New York City. Susie and I had a private tour of the home that was built in 1832, replacing the original house that was constructed in 1792. In 1895, the house was expanded from 27 rooms to 79 rooms.
There are 2 rooms, one in each wing, that are 30’ by 50’. One is the Dining Room (north wing) and the second a parlor (south end), All the furniture and furnishings are original. Next we headed north on the eastern side of the Hudson River, planning to travel through an area that National Geographic includes in its tour book titled “America’s Hidden Corners”. We stopped in Rhinebeck NY to have a very late breakfast or early lunch in a restaurant named ‘Pete’s Famous Restaurant’. I’m not sure if it was famous, but my omelet and fresh blueberry muffin were terrific. We didn’t pay much attention to Chelsea Clinton’s wedding in Rhinebeck when it occurred, but the locals were certainly discussing it in the diner. Continuing north the road in ‘America’s Hidden Corners’ was closed for repairs so we missed the entire area. We drove north on US9, through Albany and then turned east to Troy NY when Susie and I took a self-guided tour of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, my alma mater. It certainly has changed in 48 years.
The campus has almost doubled in size with the addition of many new buildings. The newest, a performing arts center, is less than 2 years old. It is visible from Albany and the focus of the campus, even though it is on the corner of the property. We left Troy at 4:45pm and headed north on US4 on the west side of the Hudson River, past the Saratoga Battlefield and into Schuylerville to Bob and Ginny’s new home site on the Hudson River. They took us to dinner in an old hotel, a great old building with high stamped metal ceilings and good millwork. The portions were huge! We had planned to stop at the ice cream store on the way home for dessert, but it was closed (thank goodness). We’ll go tomorrow. I think the weather is starting to break, and the humidity is falling. Susie is fighting a cold and cough.
August 11, 2010:
Susie is much worse this morning. This morning we spent talking with the Bob and Ginny while eating breakfast and drinking coffee.
We watched boats going north and south on the Hudson River, traveling to/from Lake Champlain on the Champlain Canal. All the sailboats have their masts down to clear the low bridges. We walked out to Lock #5 and watched several boats pass through. The locks are much smaller than the ones we saw in Sault Saint Marie at the east end of Lake Superior, but we were able to get close and watch them in operation. The locks have a max draft of 12 feet, max vessel length 300 feet, and max beam of 43.5 ft. The change in elevation at Lock 5 is 19 feet. Barge traffic uses the locks. On the way back, we picked blueberries for breakfast tomorrow. After a great crab salad lunch made by Susie, we went to the ice cream store for dessert. I had ‘Danish Cream’, a sweeter version of vanilla. It was great. Ginny had ‘Green Tea’. No exotic flavors for Bob and Susie. Next we drove through the town of Schuylerville and discovered that the original name was Saratoga. The name was changed to avoid confusion with Saratoga Springs to the west. The Saratoga Revolutionary War Battle took place here and culminated with the defeat of the British General Burgoyne on October 17, 1777. We went to the Visitors Center, but did not have time to drive through the battlefield. The monument marking the battlefield, completed in 1883, is four-sided with all sides but one having a statue of a hero from the Colonist ranks. The fourth side is blank. Had Benedict Arnold not become a traitor to the American cause later in the war, he would have been on the fourth side as he was a hero in this battle. Back to the Harrison’s where we took a greatly needed shower before a great steak diner with Ginny’s two sisters, Vivian and Valerie. They are craftspeople working with flat glass. Vivian lived in Alaska for a long time and several of her projects are in Anchorage. Great talent! Susie ended the day having a hard time talking. To bed at 10:30pm.
August 12, 2010:
Susie woke up this morning unable to talk. She was in misery all day. We had breakfast, packed up the RV and left Bob and Ginny just before noon. We’ll definitely return when their house is complete next year. We refilled the propane tank in the RV, drove into Saratoga Springs, bought colored pencils for Susie and fuses for an extension cord. Time for lunch at Panera Bread. It is the horseracing season here, and the place was jammed. I wonder how it is during the winter months. We drove up I-87 to Exit 25, refilled the gas tank and worked our way west then north through Adirondack Park. PS, we should have gone to Exit 30. There were a few rain showers but nothing serious. 189 miles later, at 5:30pm we arrived at Meacham Lake Campground. We are now about 50 miles south of the Canadian border. We’ll be here for 4 nights and plan to do some hiking and canoeing if Susie feels better. It should be cooler tonight.
Saturday morning, a school friend joined Nick, and they left for Canada about 10:00am. Jim drove us to Rockwell Museum of Western Art shortly after, and we spent about 2 hours there. This was another great museum of paintings, photographs and sculpture by artists, some of whom we had seen before and others new. The most famous were Charles “Charlie’ M. Russell whose museum in Great Falls MT we visited on an earlier trip. Jim picked us up and took us for a drive through the Corning area. He worked for Corning Incorporated for 33 years and has a great sense of history of the area. Most of the stock of Corning Incorporated is owned by the Houghton family and have strong ties to the area. They and Corning Incorporated were the driving force for rebuilding of the downtown when, on June 22, 1972, the remains of Hurricane Agnes started dumping rain in the area. By Friday June 23, 1972, dams on the Chemung River broke and the water crested in downtown at 9:00am. There are painted lines on the exterior windows of the Museum of Glass showing the height of the water at maximum flood stage. I think it is fair to say that without the support of the Houghton family and Corning Incorporated, the city would not be what it is today. Jim told us the story of some massive compressors that were on the loading dock of the Ingersoll-Rand Plant a few miles upstream that were swept by the flood through the town, crushing buildings and other structures. Eighteen people were lost in the floods and some of the buildings still have mud in the basements. We returned for lunch and then headed to Watkins Glen and Seneca Lake for a late afternoon sail and dinner. We saw the John Alden designed schooner Malabar VII built in 1926. No much wind, but still a beautiful sight. Back to Corning for an early to bed. Leaving day, unfortunately. We had a terrific time, and Karen sent us off with a huge waffle breakfast with genuine NY maple syrup. Happily, no excitement on the trip home. We followed US15 that is slowly becoming an Interstate Highway. Northern PA, before we met the Susquehanna River, was beautiful with rolling green hills and trees. We stopped at a Wendy’s for salads and then arrived home at 7:25pm after traveling 262 miles. Into the house, open the windows, turn on the water, plug in the electrical cords, turn on the fans, turn on the stove, clothes dryer and hot water heater and then into the shower. Then to bed!
This trip was very different from the ones we have taken in the past. We were on the road for three and a half weeks, drove only 1,480 miles as compared to 2008 when we traveled about 18,000 miles and were gone 6 months. The scenery is very different, and we spent most time focusing on ‘GEMS’ as identified by AAA. The Finger Lakes were the highlight of the trip, and we will go back to see more in the future. Thanks to all the friends who took us in. Your hospitality made a good trip a great trip.
2010 – Week 2
August 13, 2010:
It was 61º when we started the day. Susie had a good night sleep, and it was a pretty restful day. I went up to the bathrooms (didn’t want to run the generator) and charged my computer while I read more of my book ‘Blue Highways’. This book is the one that ‘Travels with Charlie’ should have been. I have been able to follow the travels in the areas we have traveled, but Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana were challenges. Since Susie seemed to be feeling better, we took a slow 6-mile bike ride around the park. Daisy took a swim with me while Susie rested. Susie worked on her drawings. We bought firewood and cooked dinner of pork chops, beets and corn over the fire. The corn wasn’t over the fire long enough, but it was getting dark, and we were hungry. To bed at 10:00pm.
August 14, 2010:
It was 68º and more humid when we awoke. Susie had a bad night, and the morning was slow. As we were eating a pleasant and quiet breakfast, there was a loud roaring noise coming from the northeast. We never saw anything, but suspect it was some sort of fighter aircraft from Plattsburg Air Force Base. A bit later, I went down to investigate the possibility of renting a canoe; there were plenty available, but when we both went down to check the wind and waves, they were too much for us. Next activity was a bike ride on some trails through the Park. If there is one thing that drives us crazy it is the lack of information on park activities. Luckily for us, we have the GPS with a supplemental chip that adds some trails, but it is not enough. On our bike ride, we came to 2 dead ends without any warning. Anyway, we rode for a bit more than 7 miles and returned back to the RV for a late lunch and nap. We also heard another loud roaring (another aircraft?) but never saw anything. I started the fire with lots more wood than last night so dinner should be fast and more complete, or so we hope. We read, and Susie drew for the rest of the afternoon. I also took Daisy for a romp in the water. The lake is so shallow that she doesn’t really swim.
Returning, I put the lamb chops on the fire. It was a delicious meal. I am getting the hang of it! Weather forecast talked about rain, but nothing. As it became dark, we listened to some podcasts before going to bed.
August 15, 2010:
The temperature was 68º when we got up. I took Daisy for a walk and then another swim. I am afraid that she’ll be really sore, but she loves the water. We decided to take another bike ride as the weather forecast is calling for rain and thunderstorms late in the day. We did 10+ miles and had a good time. The sky was mostly cloudy and that kept the temperature down. The wind was again from the south and the waves still a bit too much for canoeing, at least for us, but I did see some kayaks traveling near shore. I started another fire to cook burgers for lunch and that worked out well. More reading and as we were sitting at the site a small RV passed by pulling what I thought was a VW ‘Command Car’ that was imported into the USA 30 years ago. When we took our last walk of the day, we emptied the trash and then decided to find the car. It was in a campsite on the water, and turned out not to be a VW but a Citroen. Very basic without any safety features, an ideal vehicle for back roads. We also discovered a family camping using solar panels to recharge the house batteries in their trailer. It was a good discussion and now may be the time to incorporate that technology to avoid running the generator, which we did for an hour today. We discussed batteries, and told me that Consumers Digest did a report on deep cycle rechargeable and that the one we are using was at the bottom of the list. He gave me the name of the top-rated battery, which he is using. Since we have become convinced that we need to replace this battery, that’s what we’ll use. Daisy swam again from their campsite with the granddaughter throwing her a stick. When we returned to the campsite, we ate dinner and Daisy was given a pain pill in addition to her dinner. We think she’ll need more over the next few days. There was a light sprinkle so we brought everything inside to prevent it for getting wet. Just as we went to bed, there was more rain, but not significant. Tomorrow we check out of this campground and head north to the Messina area to visit the Eisenhower Locks on the St Lawrence River. We’ll also do some food shopping and clothes washing on the way.
August 16, 2010:
It rained last night, and I jumped up to check if anything was blowing in the windows. A bit, so I closed them, creating more heat in the RV that we wanted. Rain stopped, windows opened; problem solved. However, it was a good thing that we brought everything inside last night. At 7:00am, the skies cleared, and the winds blew. The temperature was in the low 60º’s. About an hour later, thunder and lightning with rain. We ate breakfast. A short time later it cleared again. We finished storing stuff, prepared the laundry for washing, emptied the waste and refilled with water. As we were packing up, a neighbor stopped by. He lives in the area but has special dispensation to stay in the Meacham Lack Campground for longer than the 14 days we common folk are limited to. He told Susie about what the locals say about the Adirondacks: “Black flies, deer flies, snow flies, summer”. It was 10:30am when we departed and headed north on NY30 to Robert Moses State Park near Messina NY. We’ll spend 2 nights there. We stopped in Malone NY, washed clothes, had lunch and went food shopping. From the amount of ‘chips’ Susie bought, it was a good thing she wasn’t hungry when we were shopping. She managed to get everything into the ‘frig, but I suspect some of the ‘chips’ I put away will be much smaller than when we bought them. I called our neighbors to see if there was any excitement at home and was told that there has been 7.5” of rain since we left home 10 days ago. Glad I got a big lawn mower. We continued north on NY30 and then west on NY37 through the Awkasasne Mohawk Reservation located on the US-Canada border. Gas outside the Reservation was $2.93/gal, but inside it was $2.80/gal. We filled up. We turned north on NY131 and headed into the Park and under the Eisenhower Lock on the St Lawrence River. We passed by the power dam, checked in at the Park HQ at 4:15pm after traveling 63 miles. At check-in, the Ranger said he was glad to see us, as he had to chase many people from our site, as it was the best one in the Park. We got there, and it really was! We are in Site 205 in the Barnhart Island Camping Area. For all you technical types, we are located at N45º00.627’ and W074º50.724’, about 50’ from the water and 300’ from the US-Canada border. It is blowing here so we may not have a cooking fire tonight but we’ll see. It is now 6:25pm and Daisy has been swimming twice since we arrived. The winds were from the northwest, the humidity was down and it was cool. Great sleeping weather tonight.
August 17, 2010:
It was beautiful this morning. Absolutely clear skies and light winds from the west that built as the morning went on.
After breakfast and Susie took Daisy for a morning swim, we decided that we would take a bike tour around the Park. We biked to the Visitor Center for the Moses –Saunders Dam that generates electricity for this part of the country. It also was, I believe, the reason that General Motors and Alcoa located plants here. The refining of aluminum takes huge amounts of electricity and cheap power is necessary for a profitable facility. The southern part of the dam is owned and operated by the NY Power Authority. The northern section is owned and operated by Canada. It was completed in 1961 and generates 2,515 megawatts of power for the US and the same amount for Canada. 
This trip was very different from the ones we have taken in the past. We were on the road for three and a half weeks, drove only 1,480 miles as compared to 2008 when we traveled about 18,000 miles and were gone 6 months. The scenery is very different, and we spent most time focusing on ‘GEMS’ as identified by AAA. The Finger Lakes were the highlight of the trip, and we will go back to see more in the future. Thanks to all the friends who took us in. Your hospitality made a good trip a great trip.
2010 – Week 2
August 13, 2010:
It was 61º when we started the day. Susie had a good night sleep, and it was a pretty restful day. I went up to the bathrooms (didn’t want to run the generator) and charged my computer while I read more of my book ‘Blue Highways’. This book is the one that ‘Travels with Charlie’ should have been. I have been able to follow the travels in the areas we have traveled, but Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana were challenges. Since Susie seemed to be feeling better, we took a slow 6-mile bike ride around the park. Daisy took a swim with me while Susie rested. Susie worked on her drawings. We bought firewood and cooked dinner of pork chops, beets and corn over the fire. The corn wasn’t over the fire long enough, but it was getting dark, and we were hungry. To bed at 10:00pm.
August 14, 2010:
It was 68º and more humid when we awoke. Susie had a bad night, and the morning was slow. As we were eating a pleasant and quiet breakfast, there was a loud roaring noise coming from the northeast. We never saw anything, but suspect it was some sort of fighter aircraft from Plattsburg Air Force Base. A bit later, I went down to investigate the possibility of renting a canoe; there were plenty available, but when we both went down to check the wind and waves, they were too much for us. Next activity was a bike ride on some trails through the Park. If there is one thing that drives us crazy it is the lack of information on park activities. Luckily for us, we have the GPS with a supplemental chip that adds some trails, but it is not enough. On our bike ride, we came to 2 dead ends without any warning. Anyway, we rode for a bit more than 7 miles and returned back to the RV for a late lunch and nap. We also heard another loud roaring (another aircraft?) but never saw anything. I started the fire with lots more wood than last night so dinner should be fast and more complete, or so we hope. We read, and Susie drew for the rest of the afternoon. I also took Daisy for a romp in the water. The lake is so shallow that she doesn’t really swim.
Returning, I put the lamb chops on the fire. It was a delicious meal. I am getting the hang of it! Weather forecast talked about rain, but nothing. As it became dark, we listened to some podcasts before going to bed.August 15, 2010:
The temperature was 68º when we got up. I took Daisy for a walk and then another swim. I am afraid that she’ll be really sore, but she loves the water. We decided to take another bike ride as the weather forecast is calling for rain and thunderstorms late in the day. We did 10+ miles and had a good time. The sky was mostly cloudy and that kept the temperature down. The wind was again from the south and the waves still a bit too much for canoeing, at least for us, but I did see some kayaks traveling near shore. I started another fire to cook burgers for lunch and that worked out well. More reading and as we were sitting at the site a small RV passed by pulling what I thought was a VW ‘Command Car’ that was imported into the USA 30 years ago. When we took our last walk of the day, we emptied the trash and then decided to find the car. It was in a campsite on the water, and turned out not to be a VW but a Citroen. Very basic without any safety features, an ideal vehicle for back roads. We also discovered a family camping using solar panels to recharge the house batteries in their trailer. It was a good discussion and now may be the time to incorporate that technology to avoid running the generator, which we did for an hour today. We discussed batteries, and told me that Consumers Digest did a report on deep cycle rechargeable and that the one we are using was at the bottom of the list. He gave me the name of the top-rated battery, which he is using. Since we have become convinced that we need to replace this battery, that’s what we’ll use. Daisy swam again from their campsite with the granddaughter throwing her a stick. When we returned to the campsite, we ate dinner and Daisy was given a pain pill in addition to her dinner. We think she’ll need more over the next few days. There was a light sprinkle so we brought everything inside to prevent it for getting wet. Just as we went to bed, there was more rain, but not significant. Tomorrow we check out of this campground and head north to the Messina area to visit the Eisenhower Locks on the St Lawrence River. We’ll also do some food shopping and clothes washing on the way.
August 16, 2010:
It rained last night, and I jumped up to check if anything was blowing in the windows. A bit, so I closed them, creating more heat in the RV that we wanted. Rain stopped, windows opened; problem solved. However, it was a good thing that we brought everything inside last night. At 7:00am, the skies cleared, and the winds blew. The temperature was in the low 60º’s. About an hour later, thunder and lightning with rain. We ate breakfast. A short time later it cleared again. We finished storing stuff, prepared the laundry for washing, emptied the waste and refilled with water. As we were packing up, a neighbor stopped by. He lives in the area but has special dispensation to stay in the Meacham Lack Campground for longer than the 14 days we common folk are limited to. He told Susie about what the locals say about the Adirondacks: “Black flies, deer flies, snow flies, summer”. It was 10:30am when we departed and headed north on NY30 to Robert Moses State Park near Messina NY. We’ll spend 2 nights there. We stopped in Malone NY, washed clothes, had lunch and went food shopping. From the amount of ‘chips’ Susie bought, it was a good thing she wasn’t hungry when we were shopping. She managed to get everything into the ‘frig, but I suspect some of the ‘chips’ I put away will be much smaller than when we bought them. I called our neighbors to see if there was any excitement at home and was told that there has been 7.5” of rain since we left home 10 days ago. Glad I got a big lawn mower. We continued north on NY30 and then west on NY37 through the Awkasasne Mohawk Reservation located on the US-Canada border. Gas outside the Reservation was $2.93/gal, but inside it was $2.80/gal. We filled up. We turned north on NY131 and headed into the Park and under the Eisenhower Lock on the St Lawrence River. We passed by the power dam, checked in at the Park HQ at 4:15pm after traveling 63 miles. At check-in, the Ranger said he was glad to see us, as he had to chase many people from our site, as it was the best one in the Park. We got there, and it really was! We are in Site 205 in the Barnhart Island Camping Area. For all you technical types, we are located at N45º00.627’ and W074º50.724’, about 50’ from the water and 300’ from the US-Canada border. It is blowing here so we may not have a cooking fire tonight but we’ll see. It is now 6:25pm and Daisy has been swimming twice since we arrived. The winds were from the northwest, the humidity was down and it was cool. Great sleeping weather tonight.
August 17, 2010:
It was beautiful this morning. Absolutely clear skies and light winds from the west that built as the morning went on.
After breakfast and Susie took Daisy for a morning swim, we decided that we would take a bike tour around the Park. We biked to the Visitor Center for the Moses –Saunders Dam that generates electricity for this part of the country. It also was, I believe, the reason that General Motors and Alcoa located plants here. The refining of aluminum takes huge amounts of electricity and cheap power is necessary for a profitable facility. The southern part of the dam is owned and operated by the NY Power Authority. The northern section is owned and operated by Canada. It was completed in 1961 and generates 2,515 megawatts of power for the US and the same amount for Canada. 
We then turned around and biked to the Eisenhower Lock on the St Lawrence River. There is also the Snett Lock, the last lock of the project, a few miles further downstream. The construction of the power dam and the Eisenhower Lock required a massive modification to the flow patterns of the St Lawrence River and the construction of the Wiley Dondero Canal entirely in the US. All these modifications probably would be very difficult, if not impossible, to accomplish is these times with the tougher environmental laws. Not only were the power dam and the locks built, but also another dam, the Long Sault Dam, was built to close a branch of the river to divert more water to the power dam. The Eisenhower Lock looked small to us, having seen the locks at Sault Saint Marie, and it was the largest ship the Eisenhower Lock could pass was 740 feet in length and 78 foot beam. The Sault Saint Marie locks can accommodate ships of 1,006 feet in length, 106 feet beam. The Sault Saint Marie locks are the biggest in the system, but the boats that use them never go further east than Lake Erie. The dimensions of the locks on the Welland Canal that bypasses Niagara Falls set the dimensions of the remaining locks. The Welland Canal has eight locks with to compensate for the 326-foot difference in elevation between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The bike ride was 16+ miles. Daisy was full of energy, and we weren’t. She swam and we tossed sticks for the longest time. Finally she settled. We had hamburgers over the fire and sat outside as the moon rose and the sun set. The few clouds were colorful. There is a family, looks like 2 sets of parents and one set of grand across the road from us. Lots of little kids and it sounds as if the stress level is increasing. Hopefully they will settle soon. The embers in the fire ring are bright orange, but it won’t last for long.August 18, 2010:
We goofed off this morning before leaving the campground at 10:30am. It was very relaxing and what we needed after yesterday. We drove to Ogdensburg NY, following the St Lawrence River. We noticed the long lengths of dikes that were constructed to hold back the raised level of the river. The Canadian side didn’t seem to have many, if any dikes, and so the river just flooded the land. At Ogdensburg, we toured the Fredrick Remington Museum. I didn’t know much about Remington, but thought he was born a cowboy in the west and did most of his art out there. It turns out he was born in Canton NY, very close to Ogdensburg, and loved the country. Later in life, he lived in New Rochelle NY. He also owned a small island in the St Lawrence River where he spent the summers. In addition to his paintings and sculpture, he wrote and illustrated books. Teddy Roosevelt had him illustrate some of his books. I saw a large Tiffany grandfather clock in the museum and commented that we have one, not nearly as elaborate as this one, which was given to my stepfather’s mother as a wedding present in 1905. One of the guides was able to tell me that the Durfee Clock Works of Providence RI probably made the case for our clock. We had lunch in the RV and then went across the street to the Ogdensburg Library to catch up on mail. I decided to avoid the news. We pushed on and arrived at the Wellesley Island State Park (near Alexandria Bay NY) and set up camp. I made reservations for a cruise around the 1000 Islands and tour of Boldt Castle tomorrow. Daisy is sacked out on the sofa for the night. We met a family from the Chicago area, and they gave us some other places we should visit.
August 19, 2010:
When we got up this morning, the skies were clean and the wind from the southwest. The forecast is still calling for rain in the late afternoon so we think we made the correct decision on taking the cruise today and touring the Boldt Castle and boathouse afterwards. We left the campground shortly after 11:00am and drove to Alexandria Bay to pick up tickets and take a quick around a very touristy town. We had to park the RV way out of town at a spot they care ‘the desert’. I took the RV with Daisy and got her set up, tucked behind some large RV’s to protect her from the sun. The shuttle bus delivered me back to town. I couldn’t find Susie, but did find the ice cream shop. By the time Susie found me, I was halfway through the cone. She had scoped out most of the stores and didn’t find anything she wanted. We boarded the Uncle Sam Sightseeing Lines and started off on the ‘2 Nations’ Tour, a duration of 2.25 hours. We had a buffet lunch with the most awful ice tea I have ever had. We saw numerous houses that we just too much to imagine.
The skies were filled with large cumulus clouds and the winds still blew from the southwest. It was just delightful. At the end of the tour, we were dropped off at Boldt Castle. This complex was being constructed for Mr. and Mrs. Boldt as a summer place, but she died unexpectedly in January 1904, and Mr. Boldt stopped all work, never to return there again. The house and grounds fell into disrepair through several owners until it was donated to the Thousand Island Bridge Authority. Repairs are being made as money allows. All the entry fees and donations go to the repairs. The outside skin of the building was the first order of business, and it appears that the weather no longer is affecting the building.
Now to the inside. I would say that the 1st floor is about 80% restored and the 2nd about 50%. Falling plaster has been removed as needed and interior doors and woodwork have been salvaged for later use. We toured several of the out buildings, including the powerhouse for generating electricity and providing water to the home. The floor plans we saw had a very large, capacity unknown, water tank on the top floor so that there would be water pressure on the floors below. We boarded a small shuttle boat and visited the boathouse that was across the river. 
It was big enough to moor Mr. Boldt’s 100-foot long private yacht and the doors were tall enough that the masts could remain upright when the vessel was inside. It was also possible to raise the boat out of the water during the winter. The boathouse now has several restored power racing craft, and they are beautiful. One was 38’ long with a beam of 4’10” and had a top speed of 20 knots.
No much compared to today’s craft, but pretty good for the early 1900’s. There were also two 40’-50’ vessels built in the early 1900’s. They have also been restored. There were a few sailing vessels, also long and narrow. One sail had a Ratsey and Lapthorn label, confirmation of times long past. We discovered that Mrs. Boldt had a houseboat that was pulled by a tugboat. We were sure that the vessel must have been long gone, but wee heard that it is in the historical boat museum in Clayton NY, a few miles down the road and up the river. We were going there to kayak anyway, so a tour through the museum is a must. Hope the weather is as great as the forecast.2010 – Week 1
August 6, 2010:
After a frantic day and a half, we managed to leave Howard Lodge Drive for our trip to the Delaware Gap NRA (National Recreation Area) located about 25 miles north of Stroudsburg PA. The trip was generally uneventful, but we didn’t always follow Gabby Garmin’s directions, especially around York and Harrisburg PA. We knew we were smarter and tried to go through Harrisburg PA on the Interstates, and it was a disaster! The next failure was Gabby’s fault as she had us going on US22 around the north side of Allentown PA rather than taking I-78 across the south side and then heading north. Susie made a great move while the traffic was stopped, but the driver delivering a new truck tractor took umbrage and blew his horn for a long time as we took a detour and got back on I-78 for about 20 miles, then north on US209 to Dingmans Ferry and Dingmans Campground where we pulled in at 6:00pm. The breeze was blowing and the humidity low. Daisy and I walked the campground and noticed that the Delaware River is low so our planned canoe trip tomorrow may not be as good as anticipated. Sleep came early, 9:30pm.
August 7, 2010:
What a wonderful sleep! It was cool and the surroundings quiet. There are no heavy vehicles allowed on US209, and therefore no truck noise. Susie took a run, and I took Daisy for a walk through the Delaware River along the edge of the cornfields. Once again, Daisy has been our chief ambassador with many people stopping to talk with us about her. We met a couple from Baltimore. We loaded up and were driven to the start point for the 8-mile, three plus hour canoe trip down the Delaware River. At the start, the wind was with us, but we soon discovered, without rhyme or reason, it could (and did) come from every direction
Only the current flowed south. Unlike our trips out west, there are deciduous trees everywhere, and the river scenery is refreshing. There were 2 canoe companies on the river so it was loaded, but the pullout point for the other company was a mile upstream from ours so we had very peaceful last mile with no other canoes in sight. We learned of another section of the Delaware River, north of Port Jervis NY, that has been designated a ‘scenic river’ by the NPS. It flows through deep canyons, and we were assured that it is worth a stop on some other trip north. The rest of the day was relaxing, and I received a long overdue haircut. I tried to hang the hammock for some well deserved rest for both of us, but we found that the mice had gotten there first, leaving a big hole right were our bodies would be. At least we didn’t drag it around until the end of the trip and discover the damage then. Into the dumpster now! Tomorrow we head north, stopping at West Point and then continuing to a NY State Park north of Poughkeepsie NY for 2 nights.August 8, 2010:
The temperature this morning was 58º. I took Daisy for a walk and found a mother/daughter who were lost and looking for campsite 29. I had no idea so off they went to find someone more knowledgeable. There were 2 chocolate labs free of their leashes and both came over to talk to Daisy. Thank goodness they were males. We left the campsite at 10:20am and headed northeast to tour the USMA at West Point. On the way, as we approached Port Jervis NY, we saw a large tower, similar to the Washington Monument in profile, on the NJ side of the Delaware River. This monument marks the intersection of the states of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. We traveled up the west shore of the Hudson River near Newburgh NY. Many of the commercial buildings along the river must have been abandoned decades ago. The only activity seemed to be around the large oil storage tanks. We arrived at West Point and signed on for a bus tour that was OK, but not as good as the walking tour we took of the USNA in Annapolis.
West Point takes pride in being ‘locked down’ after the attacks of 9/11, and it is hard to get information about the history of the place. After the tour we had to have an ice cream before heading north through Poughkeepsie and Hyde Park to the town of Staatsburg NY. We are staying in the Mills-Norrie State Park for the next 2 nights. I thought there was electricity here but was mistaken. Tomorrow we will be tour FDR’s Home and Museum and Eleanor’s house, Val-Kil. My Uncle Phil will be turning in his grave as we enter the premises. We walked along the shore of the Hudson River, and Daisy was able to take a swim for the first time in a number of days. We’ll see how sore she is tomorrow. Across the river is a huge building built like a castle with a tall watchtower. We have no idea what it is. There are threats of isolated thunderstorms this evening and night. I am sitting outside the RV as I write this and we are being bombarded with nuts or something hard from the trees. It seems a bit early for this, but maybe it portends an early winter.August 9, 2010:
It was a hot night last night (15º higher than last night), and the humidity was up. We had a slow morning, and Susie had her run. We left the campground around 11:30am and headed south to the FDR home and Museum.
We took a break around 2:30pm to check on Daisy and get a bite to eat. Even with the fans going and reflector screens in place, the interior temp of the RV got to 91º. We turned on the generator and found a place where we could park in the shade, reducing the temperature to 85º for the rest of the day. We, and seven others, took a US Park Ranger tour to FDR’s ‘Top Cottage’. This was the place that he planned to write his memoirs and organize his papers but was unable to accomplish because of his death. This was a small group, and we sat in a semi-circle listening to the Ranger talk about FDR and his life. It was very interesting and the hour-long discussion was far too short. Later, we also walked around the premises of the house that Eleanor Roosevelt built in 1924. She lived in this house from the day FDR died in 1945 until her death on November 7, 1962. There is another, and much more handsome, house on the property that was built earlier. As the last act of the day, we drove through the property of Frederick Vanderbilt, a large summer mansion built in 1898 in the Beaux-Arts Architecture style.
The National Park Service now owns the property. The exterior details of the house are wonderful and the NPS has placed a very fine netting to prevent birds nesting in all the nocks and crannies. We were too late for a tour of the house, but the views of the Hudson River Valley were spectacular. About 150 feet from the back of the house, overlooking the Hudson River, there is a very steep slope down to river. We noticed electric fencing at the top and bottom of the slope and soon discover a herd of goats that keeps the slopes ‘mowed’. Much more efficient than humans! We returned to the campground, filling up with gas and water and dumping the wastewater so we are ready for the trip tomorrow to Bob and Ginny Harrison’s place in Schuylerville NY. It is not yet a house as they are securing permits, etc. We last saw them in June when they were in Baltimore to support their daughter Kim when she presented a paper on sports medicine. It is now 8:15pm, the sun has set and the generator and AC are still running. It is going to be another hot night. We turned the generator off at 9:00am and soon after the CO alarm rang, and we had to blow all that nice cold air outside to clear the inside of the RV.August 10, 2010:
It rained early this morning, not hard, but the raindrop falling through the trees make a very great sound as they it the RV roof. It is warm and sticky, and the ground is muddy enough that Daisy must stay in the RV. We decided to wait on breakfast and stop at the Mill’s home and property that comprises part of the State Park we camped in. This home was originally the property of the Livingston family, an early family in the upper Hudson River Valley. A Livingston daughter married Ogden Mills and the property became the Mills House. In our tour of the home, we learned that the Livingston family owned 1.2 million acres on the east side of the Hudson River from Albany south to New York City. Susie and I had a private tour of the home that was built in 1832, replacing the original house that was constructed in 1792. In 1895, the house was expanded from 27 rooms to 79 rooms.
There are 2 rooms, one in each wing, that are 30’ by 50’. One is the Dining Room (north wing) and the second a parlor (south end), All the furniture and furnishings are original. Next we headed north on the eastern side of the Hudson River, planning to travel through an area that National Geographic includes in its tour book titled “America’s Hidden Corners”. We stopped in Rhinebeck NY to have a very late breakfast or early lunch in a restaurant named ‘Pete’s Famous Restaurant’. I’m not sure if it was famous, but my omelet and fresh blueberry muffin were terrific. We didn’t pay much attention to Chelsea Clinton’s wedding in Rhinebeck when it occurred, but the locals were certainly discussing it in the diner. Continuing north the road in ‘America’s Hidden Corners’ was closed for repairs so we missed the entire area. We drove north on US9, through Albany and then turned east to Troy NY when Susie and I took a self-guided tour of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, my alma mater. It certainly has changed in 48 years.
The campus has almost doubled in size with the addition of many new buildings. The newest, a performing arts center, is less than 2 years old. It is visible from Albany and the focus of the campus, even though it is on the corner of the property. We left Troy at 4:45pm and headed north on US4 on the west side of the Hudson River, past the Saratoga Battlefield and into Schuylerville to Bob and Ginny’s new home site on the Hudson River. They took us to dinner in an old hotel, a great old building with high stamped metal ceilings and good millwork. The portions were huge! We had planned to stop at the ice cream store on the way home for dessert, but it was closed (thank goodness). We’ll go tomorrow. I think the weather is starting to break, and the humidity is falling. Susie is fighting a cold and cough.August 11, 2010:
Susie is much worse this morning. This morning we spent talking with the Bob and Ginny while eating breakfast and drinking coffee.
We watched boats going north and south on the Hudson River, traveling to/from Lake Champlain on the Champlain Canal. All the sailboats have their masts down to clear the low bridges. We walked out to Lock #5 and watched several boats pass through. The locks are much smaller than the ones we saw in Sault Saint Marie at the east end of Lake Superior, but we were able to get close and watch them in operation. The locks have a max draft of 12 feet, max vessel length 300 feet, and max beam of 43.5 ft. The change in elevation at Lock 5 is 19 feet. Barge traffic uses the locks. On the way back, we picked blueberries for breakfast tomorrow. After a great crab salad lunch made by Susie, we went to the ice cream store for dessert. I had ‘Danish Cream’, a sweeter version of vanilla. It was great. Ginny had ‘Green Tea’. No exotic flavors for Bob and Susie. Next we drove through the town of Schuylerville and discovered that the original name was Saratoga. The name was changed to avoid confusion with Saratoga Springs to the west. The Saratoga Revolutionary War Battle took place here and culminated with the defeat of the British General Burgoyne on October 17, 1777. We went to the Visitors Center, but did not have time to drive through the battlefield. The monument marking the battlefield, completed in 1883, is four-sided with all sides but one having a statue of a hero from the Colonist ranks. The fourth side is blank. Had Benedict Arnold not become a traitor to the American cause later in the war, he would have been on the fourth side as he was a hero in this battle. Back to the Harrison’s where we took a greatly needed shower before a great steak diner with Ginny’s two sisters, Vivian and Valerie. They are craftspeople working with flat glass. Vivian lived in Alaska for a long time and several of her projects are in Anchorage. Great talent! Susie ended the day having a hard time talking. To bed at 10:30pm.August 12, 2010:
Susie woke up this morning unable to talk. She was in misery all day. We had breakfast, packed up the RV and left Bob and Ginny just before noon. We’ll definitely return when their house is complete next year. We refilled the propane tank in the RV, drove into Saratoga Springs, bought colored pencils for Susie and fuses for an extension cord. Time for lunch at Panera Bread. It is the horseracing season here, and the place was jammed. I wonder how it is during the winter months. We drove up I-87 to Exit 25, refilled the gas tank and worked our way west then north through Adirondack Park. PS, we should have gone to Exit 30. There were a few rain showers but nothing serious. 189 miles later, at 5:30pm we arrived at Meacham Lake Campground. We are now about 50 miles south of the Canadian border. We’ll be here for 4 nights and plan to do some hiking and canoeing if Susie feels better. It should be cooler tonight.
